44% of breast cancer survivors had care delays in April, survey shows

Nearly half of breast cancer survivors in the U.S. had their care delayed in April as COVID-19 cases surged across the country, a new survey shows.

The survey includes responses from 609 breast cancer survivors, collected April 2-27. Survey results were published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

Sixty-three percent of the respondents said they were receiving cancer care, and the average age was 47 years.

Forty-four percent of respondents reported a delay in care. About 79 percent reported delays in routine follow-up appointments, and 30 percent reported delays in hospital-or clinic-based cancer therapies, including radiation, infusion therapies and surgical tumor removal.

Respondents also reported delays in breast reconstruction surgery (66 percent), diagnostic imaging (60 percent) and lab testing (50 percent).

 

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