The three large-scale Flemish population screenings into cancer had only a limited impact of the corona crisis over the whole of 2020. This is evident from the annual report of the Center for Cancer Detection. The screenings for breast, colon and cervical cancer were delayed, but they were largely caught up within 2020.
–
–
Door Redactie Online
–
The three studies, in which the target groups are invited on the basis of age and gender for preventive screening and follow-up if necessary, were stopped at various times during a period last year due to the corona pandemic. However, according to the Center for Cancer Detection, there was still considerable catching up during 2020. For breast cancer, for example, the total coverage of the screenings therefore ‘only’ fell from 65 to 61 percent of the target group, with a lot of screenings on top of that that still took place at the beginning of 2021.
According to Flemish Minister of Health Wouter Beke (CD&V), the impact of the corona crisis on population screenings in Flanders was also limited compared to foreign examples. In the Netherlands, for example, only 55 percent of the target group received an invitation for breast cancer screening in 2020, compared to 87 percent in Flanders.
Temporary delay
The corona crisis therefore only caused a temporary delay in the investigations and, according to the Center for Cancer Detection, this did not mean that cancers were discovered too late. «Last year, hospitals did receive such signals, but they concerned different types of cancer than those for which we screen in the population screenings,» says director Patrick Martens. «In any case, it is also about detecting cancers at a very early stage, which by definition also evolve more slowly. A small postponement of the screening therefore has little impact.”
However, just because the numbers remained stable during the pandemic, that doesn’t mean the response can’t go even higher. “There’s still a part of the population that we don’t reach,” says Beke. “We need to put even more effort into actively engaging in dialogue with people to convince them to get screened.” The situation remains precarious, especially in and around cities. In addition, too few participants participate in a follow-up study if the screening revealed something potentially suspicious.
«Approach works»
The usefulness of the screenings has now been proven, the researchers say. For example, when the population screenings for colorectal cancer started, more cancers were first diagnosed in 2014, but the incidence has since fallen below the level of 2013. “The clinging approach works”, says Beke.
In order to ensure that even more people from the target groups respond to the invitations to the research, Flanders wants to further analyze the barriers to participation, focus even more on campaigns and adapted invitations for specific categories and continue to provide correct information about the advantages and disadvantages of screenings.
