Over a million cancer deaths could result due to lockdowns

The following article was published by Euronews on May 12, 2021. It was written by Meath McMahon.

In this article, McMahon cites a new study by the European Cancer Organization (ECO) which estimates that nearly one million cancer cases have been undiagnosed in the past year due to coronavirus restrictions. Additionally, the study estimates that 1 in 2 people with potential cancer symptoms was not urgently referred for diagnosis, and 1 in every 5 cancer patients in Europe was still not receiving the treatment they need.

Cancer screening tests have also significantly decreased, with as many as 100 million not performed in Europe due to the pandemic. Professor Mark Lawlor says this in reaction, “…what this can lead to is the actual stage of the diagnosis being delayed. And if the cancer is diagnosed at a later stage, then that means it’s much more difficult to treat and there’s much more of a risk of people dying from the disease”.

Editor’s Note: This article is the European version of an article we published earlier [see More deaths from undiagnosed cancer will emerge in the pandemic’s second year]. It is a confirmation that through the coronavirus policies implemented by our countries, we have caused even greater damage to our health care system.

Without the lockdowns, cancer deaths have already been dominating annual mortality. Did governments even consider how their coronavirus policies would affect individuals suffering from the disease? Or is COVID the only disease that matters now?