Part of the collateral health damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was its interference with cancer screening around the world, including routine screening for colorectal cancer, according to the “Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer”.
“In general, colorectal cancer screening has decreased from 28% to 100% in different countries and at different times after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said an article in the journal, published in August.
This decrease in screening was especially dangerous given that colorectal cancer is the second deadliest and third most prevalent cancer in the world, and early detection is crucial for reducing the mortality related to this disease, the article said.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Given the risk, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance wants to raise awareness of the need for screening during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March. They are using this time to remind everyone that screening is the best defense against this deadly disease.
Along with promoting wider screening, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance also seeks to help patients enroll in potentially lifesaving clinical trials. These trials provide important information to researchers about how particular treatments affect certain individuals and provide data on the treatment’s effectiveness.
The Alliance equips patients with information they can use to understand more about clinical trials, and also offers this “Clinical Trial Finder” online tool to help people see if they can enter a trial.
