New UK evidence indicates that COVID-19 has resulted in disease being spotted later

An audit of prostate cancer diagnosis in the UK has found that the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the first three months of the pandemic fell by half. Overall, there was a 28.9% reduction in prostate cancer diagnoses in 2020 compared with 2019.

The new analysis, covering England and Wales and published by the Royal College of Surgeons, says that “the Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the care provided to patients with cancer, with delays in diagnosis and treatment”.

Equally worrying are statistics showing that among men diagnosed with prostate cancer since April 2020, a higher proportion were diagnosed at the most advanced stage compared with the previous year (21% compared with 17%).

“We expect this picture to be reflected in many other European countries, and it is of considerable concern to us all,” says Europa Uomo Chairman André Deschamps.