ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - All those missed cancer screenings during the pandemic are apparently starting to catch up with us. A new study shows an increase in late-stage cancer being diagnosed now that people are beginning to reschedule their screenings.
Dr. Shiraz Daud is a pulmonologist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
"There's a lot of cancers that were missed, or a lot of screening that fell away," says Daud, "I think now is the time to again be diligent about our health, about proactive maneuvers. Screening is very important."
The earlier stage the cancer is discovered, Dr. Daud says, the better the chances are for beating it.
Experts stress the increase is mainly tied to the drop off in cancer screening at the outset of the pandemic two years ago. Dr. John Williams is chair of President Biden's Cancer Panel.
"During the pandemic, we found in the Spring of 2020 when it just hit and everything shut down, 90% drop in mammographic screening, colon cancer screening, lung cancer screening, and cervical cancer screening," points out Williams. "That dropped off and then we learned how to cope with COVID and it's come back but it's not come back to pre-pandemic levels."
Before the pandemic, Dr. Williams says more stage 1 cancers were found and successfully treated. Now, more late stage cancers are being discovered -- making treatment much more complicated.
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