From Click 2 Houston:
Both mammogram and cervical cancer screenings have declined since COVID-19 started in part because they fell under elective procedures that were temporarily canceled during stay-home orders across Texas.
Since restrictions for elective procedures have been lifted, doctors say they’re surprised they haven’t seen people coming back to get those exams done.
It reflects behavior across many health platforms though, people have avoided seeing doctors out of fear of coronavirus exposure at hospitals, clinics and other healthcare establishments.
Although, some patients had to continue going for treatments throughout COVID closures because of potentially life-threatening illnesses like cancer.
Breast Oncologist Jessica Trevino Jones, MD, with Memorial Hermann Cancer Center and UT Physicians said she’s worried about so many cancellations of cancer screenings (like mammograms and cervical cancer screenings) that have not been rescheduled despite restrictions lifted on elective procedures. She said that there will be a major uptick in cancer later on if women don’t get these done now.
“One in eight women get breast cancer and it’s detected by a mammogram. If those eight women don’t even show up for a mammogram, you have to know that we’re missing that one person that could’ve been saved,” Jones said.
Story source: Click 2 Houston.
Featured image credit: Click 2 Houston.