Virus crisis may force NHS to halt cancer screening
ROUTINE cancer screening including breast cancer mammograms and cervical smear tests could be halted during the pandemic.
NHS bosses are discussing suspending the checks over concerns they are putting patients at risk when they are trying to self-isolate as well as using up vital capacity in labs.
Around 9million Britons are screened every year for breast, cervical and bowel cancer and the programmes have been credited with saving thousands of lives through early detection.
But officials are concerned that patients attending GP surgeries or hospitals puts them at risk of contracting or spreading the virus when they should be staying at home.
They are also worried that NHS labs do not currently have the capacity to analyse samples at a time when they are trying to dramatically increase the number of coronavirus tests.
A source said discussions over continuing the national screening programmes were ‘ongoing’.
The Welsh government said last Friday it would suspend routine cancer checks to encourage patients to stay at home, particularly as many are high risk.
Although some surgeries and hospitals in England have started postponing checks, there has not yet been any national guidance. Breast cancer mammograms are offered every three years to women aged 50 to 71 while cervical smear tests are performed on those aged 25 to 65 every three to five years.
All adults over 55 are invited for a one-off bowel cancer check and those aged 60 to 74 are invited to do home tests every two years.
If the checks are suspended, tumours which would have been found early may not be found until they are harder to treat.
The coronavirus outbreak is already having a huge impact on cancer patients despite NHS officials initially insisting surgery and treatment would be protected.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust in London this week suspended all operations and chemotherapy for at least two weeks. Other hospitals have postponed some patients’ treatment and guidelines were issued last week urging doctors to prioritise cases depending on urgency.
Approximately 2million women are screened for breast cancer a year, 4.5million women for cervical cancer and a further 2.5million adults for bowel cancer.
Sarah Woolnough of Cancer Research UK said: ‘Screening is for people without symptoms so it remains vital that anyone who is worried about possible cancer symptoms is still able to seek help from the NHS and have their symptoms investigated promptly.’
Robert Music, chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: ‘In parts of the UK cervical screening is being postponed. While this is not ideal and may cause worry, we support the decisions being made in these difficult times.’