Report warns delay in service puts women at higher risk of breast cancer

A group of health professionals are warning that women in New South Wales risk an increase in cancer deaths, with all routine breast screenings to be suspended statewide from Thursday due to the extended lockdown.

The Radiation Therapy Advisory Group (RTAG), an alliance of cancer patient advocates, healthcare providers, medical technology providers and oncology professionals, will release a report on Tuesday highlighting risks of delay screening and diagnosis of breast cancer.

He says Australian health experts predict that when normal screening services resume, “patients will have more advanced cancers because they missed the screenings and went undiagnosed.”

The report says there were 145,000 fewer mammograms in Australia between January and June last year compared to the same period in 2018. During the Victoria lockdown last year, cancer screening rates breast cancer fell 37% and breast cancer surgeries fell 33%. He said there were 2,530 fewer cancer diagnoses in Victoria as of October 2020, including 301 breast cancer cases.

BreastScreen NSW announced Monday that it will temporarily suspend all routine breast screenings by Thursday in order to free its staff to help manage COVID-19.

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Breast Cancer Network Australia director of policy and advocacy Vicki Durston said COVID-19 had not changed the fact that 55 people in Australia were diagnosed with breast cancer every day.

“Victoria continues to be challenged by the profound consequences of the temporary suspension of essential services,” she said. “A four-week shutdown of BreastScreen’s utilities resulted in the women being diagnosed later and requiring more drastic treatment.

“We are hearing from many women in NSW who may not be able to access screening appointments for the foreseeable future and a number of cancer patients do not leave their homes for treatment.”