In Europe, there is a difficult situation in the field of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. According to experts, in recent months, due to the fact that the attention of doctors was riveted to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 1,000,000 cases of cancer were missed. Euronews Brussels Bureau reports that the European Cancer Organization (ECO) is sounding the alarm! The organization’s experts say that screening programs and programs for early diagnosis of cancer are not working due to the restrictions imposed related to the fight against the pandemic. Because of this, timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer became impossible. 1 in 5 people with cancer cannot start the treatment they need. Cancer clinical trials and research have also been suspended due to COVID.
ECO President Dr. Matti Aapro said: “We desperately need urgent action at the highest level of European policy to close the cancer treatment gap.” .
According to statistics, before the start of the pandemic, almost 2.2 million people died from cancer in the European Region every year. In 2020, 4.8 million Europeans were diagnosed with cancer.
Unfortunately, in Ukraine there are no screening programs and programs for early diagnosis of cancer at the state level at all. Therefore, it is not realistic to analyze what is happening, taking into account the measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. But we can confidently say that without the introduction of these diagnostic programs, without the proper participation of state institutions, it will not be possible to stop the spread of the “plague” of the 21st century – cancer!
