The impact of covid-19 on colorectal cancer

Throughout the pandemic, we have heard experts warn about the delay in cancer diagnoses that is causing the health situation. 

In fact, according to the clinical experts in colon cancer with whom MiWEndo is in permanent contact, in some parts of Spain the diagnosis of new colorectal cancers has dropped in an alarming way.

A study conducted at the University of Bologna reports that the delay of between 7 and 12 months in the tests for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer translates into a 3% decrease in the survival rate, and delays of more than 12 months, a 7%. Hence, the importance of early detection of this type of cancer and also the importance of bringing to market innovations that increase the precision and efficiency of this diagnosis, such as those we developed at MiWEndo.

However, the words of Dr. de Lacy in a recent interview for La Vanguardia are not very flattering. Dr. de Lacy, head of gastrointestinal surgery at Hospital Clínic, comments in the interview that last year 30% of the surgeries of patients with colorectal cancer were in the early stages of the disease, that is when there is more facility for the patient to recover successfully. This now, unfortunately, does not happen. In other words, due to delays in diagnoses, patients who are now being operated present much more advanced stages of the disease.

From the entire interview with Dr. de Lacy, we stay and make this request our own: “It is urgent to recover early detection, it is already being done, but returning to the levels before the covid is essential for the human side, because that patient underwent surgery in initial stages, has a recovery rate of practically a 99%”.