Hospitals are starting to see an uptick in late-stage cancer diagnoses and other serious health issues that could have been detected and treated easier had the patients been able to visit their doctors sooner. Since the beginning of the pandemic, SurvivorNet has been reporting on the danger for millions of people who were not receiving proper cancer screening.
When COVID-19 restrictions started going into effect across the U.S. in March, many regularly scheduled cancer screening were delayed — or outright canceled. People stopped seeking out doctors for minor symptoms, fearing visiting a doctor’s office or hospital would put them at risk for contracting COVID-19. The number of cancer screenings performed across the country plummeted — with some hard-hit areas reporting that screening was down 70% or more by early May. Now, we’re beginning to see the consequences of that.
Read MoreHow Can I Get an Appointment?
As hospitals and doctor’s offices across the U.S. re-open for regular business again, there’s likely going to be a rush to get in. SurvivorNet consulted the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, in a previous conversation to ask what people who are at high-risk for cancer should do now that screening is available again. His advice: be pushy.
“Ask for priority scheduling,” Dr. Lichtenfeld said. “As we start to open up, it’s a concern that those with risk factor get priority — we need to make sure that people who may not have as loud a voice are protected.”
You may need priority screening if you’ve been experiencing symptoms you’re concerned about, or if you have an increased cancer risk because of something like family risk or a genetic mutation.
Many cancer centers and doctor’s offices across the country are making changes to accomodate an influx of patients. Social distancing guidelines are still in place in many states, so some centers are extending their hours and adding more appointments to give patients the opportunity to spread out.
Still, Dr. Lichtenfeld cautioned: “access will be limited because of spacing patients — waiting rooms will be emptier — but it’s important that we get patients who really need to be there in the door.”
While, ideally, patients who have a risk or symptoms will get priority appointments, Dr. Lichtenfeld stressed how important it is to be pushy about being seen sooner rather than later.
Advocating for Your Health
When it comes to cancer in general, advocating for yourself is important — and many oncologists encourage it. After all, it’s your body and you have a say in how you want your cancer journey to play out.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, encourages everyone to be proactive about their health — and seek out a doctor’s opinion even if you’re not the “right” age to begin cancer screening if you are experiencing symptoms.
Dr. Zuri Murrell explains why it’s worth it to be pushy about your own health.
“It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” Dr. Murrell said. “…You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan. So if I, as a 40-year-old, I come into a doctor’s office and say, ‘I’m having rectal bleeding. This is new for me.’ The doctor says, ‘It’s probably hemorrhoids.’ First of all, I think, did they examine me? And a lot of times, especially a male, you’re actually happy that they didn’t examine you, but that’s not necessarily the right thing to do.”
The right thing to do, Dr. Murrell said, is to continue to ask — and push — when you have concerns. That advice is especially relevant now as so many of us have put off visits to the doctor for months.
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