Decreased incidence and shift in stage distribution for colorectal cancers in Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IF 1.3 4区医学 Q4 GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY

Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica Pub Date : 2024-10-01 DOI:10.51821/87.4.13081

S Janssens, K Van Herck, H M Peacock, F Giusti, G Silversmit, N Van Damme, L Van Eycken

{"title":"Decreased incidence and shift in stage distribution for colorectal cancers in Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"S Janssens, K Van Herck, H M Peacock, F Giusti, G Silversmit, N Van Damme, L Van Eycken","doi":"10.51821/87.4.13081","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Background and study aims: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the healthcare system and society in 2020. This study assessed its possible impact on occurrence and stage of colorectal cancer diagnoses in Belgium.Methods: Population-based data from the Belgian Cancer Registry were used to extrapolate 2017-2019 trends in incidence and stage distribution to expected counts for 2020 that were subsequently compared to the observed values. Stage-specific predictions were corrected to account for the overall decline in diagnoses.Results: In 2020, 705 fewer than expected invasive and 255 fewer in situ colorectal cancers were diagnosed. For colon cancer, significant declines were observed in all genders and regions, mainly in the screening age group and in age 75+. For rectal cancers, there was only a significant decline in the latter two groups. Colon cancer pStage distribution did not change significantly. In situ rectal tumors showed a relative decline in Flanders and in the screening age group. In the latter group, more than expected cStage III rectal cancers were observed in women.Conclusions: The excess decline in in situ rectal cancers is likely attributable to the temporary suspension of the colorectal screening program during the first pandemic wave. The overall decline in colon and rectal cancer incidence in Belgium in 2020 was not accompanied by a stage shift. Longer-term effects or impact on clinically relevant outcomes cannot be excluded.","PeriodicalId":7322,"journal":{"name":"Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica","volume":"87 4","pages":"445-455"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.51821/87.4.13081","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and study aims: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the healthcare system and society in 2020. This study assessed its possible impact on occurrence and stage of colorectal cancer diagnoses in Belgium.

Methods: Population-based data from the Belgian Cancer Registry were used to extrapolate 2017-2019 trends in incidence and stage distribution to expected counts for 2020 that were subsequently compared to the observed values. Stage-specific predictions were corrected to account for the overall decline in diagnoses.

Results: In 2020, 705 fewer than expected invasive and 255 fewer in situ colorectal cancers were diagnosed. For colon cancer, significant declines were observed in all genders and regions, mainly in the screening age group and in age 75+. For rectal cancers, there was only a significant decline in the latter two groups. Colon cancer pStage distribution did not change significantly. In situ rectal tumors showed a relative decline in Flanders and in the screening age group. In the latter group, more than expected cStage III rectal cancers were observed in women.

Conclusions: The excess decline in in situ rectal cancers is likely attributable to the temporary suspension of the colorectal screening program during the first pandemic wave. The overall decline in colon and rectal cancer incidence in Belgium in 2020 was not accompanied by a stage shift. Longer-term effects or impact on clinically relevant outcomes cannot be excluded.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica Medicine-Gastroenterology

CiteScore

2.30

自引率

20.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica principally publishes peer-reviewed original manuscripts, reviews, letters to editors, book reviews and guidelines in the field of clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, including digestive oncology, digestive pathology, as well as nutrition. Pure animal or in vitro work will not be considered for publication in the Journal. Translational research papers (including sections of animal or in vitro work) are considered by the Journal if they have a clear relationship to or relevance for clinical hepato-gastroenterology (screening, disease mechanisms and/or new therapies). Case reports and clinical images will be accepted if they represent an important contribution to the description, the pathogenesis or the treatment of a specific gastroenterology or liver problem. The language of the Journal is English. Papers from any country will be considered for publication. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal should not have been published previously (in English or any other language), nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Unsolicited papers are peer-reviewed before it is decided whether they should be accepted, rejected, or returned for revision. Manuscripts that do not meet the presentation criteria (as indicated below) will be returned to the authors. Papers that go too far beyond the scope of the journal will be also returned to the authors by the editorial board generally within 2 weeks. The Journal reserves the right to edit the language of papers accepted for publication for clarity and correctness, and to make formal changes to ensure compliance with AGEB’s style. Authors have the opportunity to review such changes in the proofs.