NEWSROOM
For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 22, 2021
Music Icon Pattie LaBelle Reminds Adults: It’s Time to Get Screened for Cancer
Two-time Grammy award winner and “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle is encouraging adults not to delay potentially lifesaving cancer screenings. She’s partnering with two national non-profit organizations—The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and CancerCare—to spread the word that after millions of people delayed care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to get screened.
The New York Times 03/17
Advanced Cancers Are Emerging, Doctors Warn, Citing Pandemic Drop in Screenings
An analysis of Medicare data suggested that as Covid cases spiked during certain periods in 2020, cancer screenings fell. The analysis — conducted by Avalere Health, a consulting firm, for Community Oncology Alliance, which represents independent cancer specialists — found that testing levels in November were about 25 percent lower than in 2019.
HealthDay 03/01
Underarm Lump After COVID Shot Is Likely Lymph Swelling, Not Breast Cancer, Experts Say
Radiologists from Massachusetts General Hospital noticed an increase in patients with swollen underarm lymph nodes as they were doing routine mammogram screenings. They have since established that a swollen lymph node under your arm could be a temporary side effect of a COVID-19 shot and not a sign of serious health implications.
Wave 3 News 03/01
Colon Cancer Screenings Down Since Pandemic
Dr. Russ Farmer, a colon and rectal surgeon with the University of Louisville (UofL) Health says that patients have delayed their colonoscopies, even if they have a personal history of colon cancer. He credits the decline to the pandemic, saying it’s a major problem that people are skipping out on their screenings, especially for young adults.
The Washington Post 02/28
Cancer Patients Often Can’t Get Full Care With Covid-19 Bogging Down Medical Facilities
In oncology, we are reminded daily that COVID-19 is far more than just a disease of the lungs. Apart from being a perpetual risk to highly vulnerable cancer patients, the coronavirus has overrun health-care systems and thus frustrated efforts to diagnose and treat cancer. As unchecked COVID-19 infections filled up the nation’s hospital beds during the devastating winter surge, we reached a disturbing phase in which acutely ill cancer patients were unable to get the medical care they needed.
Healio 02/18
Top In Hem/Onc: MRI Vs. PSA Screening, COVID-19’s Effect On Cancer Diagnoses
A new study suggests that MRI testing could be used to detect prostate cancer. Another study revealed that the number of cancer screenings dropped considerably during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the first 3 months after the initial peak, researchers found there was a “near-complete” rebound in the number of cancer screenings.
Time to Screen is a collaboration between the non-profits CancerCare and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) to encourage people to take control of their health by getting recommended cancer screenings back on track.
