Dr. Michael Daignault, an emergency room physician in Los Angeles, says lately he is seeing far too many of his patients being diagnosed with later-stage cancers or progression of their tumors. He says these patients are suffering collateral damage from the pandemic because they put off critical disease screening appointments or have been unable to follow up with their primary care doctors, due to scheduling backlogs.

Delaying screening tests can be harmful. For example, postponing cancer screening tests such as colonoscopies and mammograms may miss the chance of catching the disease in a timely manner when it is more treatable, says STAT News.

Daignault tells USA Today that people should be aware and take action on the recent recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding screening for lung, colorectal and breast cancer.

Lung cancer. More people die of lung cancer in the U.S. than from any other cancer. Approximately 154,000 Americans died of lung cancer in 2018. But the number of deaths appears to be declining because there are fewer adult American smokers, and there’s been an increase in lung cancer screening.  The USPSTF recommends that adults aged 50 to 80 who have a 20-pack year smoking history and currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT).

Colorectal cancer. Daignault says that the tragic death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman from Stage IV cancer in 2020 at the age of 43 was a “wakeup call for many Americans who had never been screened for this fast-growing disease.” Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., and it is estimated that is will cause 52,000 deaths in 2022.

“The USPSTF made a significant update in May 2021 that may have been missed by both physicians and patients,” says Daignault. “Due to the rising incidence of colorectal cancer among young adults, the age to start screening was lowered from 50 to 45 years old.”

Patients with average risk who do not have familial or genetic high-risk factors, should check with their healthcare providers for the screening test that is most appropriate for them. Some screening exams include:

• Annual fecal blood test

•Colonoscopy every 10 years

•Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

Breast cancer. Daignault says that breast cancer screening guidelines are often inconsistent and can be confusing for women. The American Cancer Society guidelines for women of average risk for breast cancer include:

•Age 40 to 44. Start annual mammogram screening.

•Age 45 to 54. Recommended annual mammogram

•Age 55 plus. Annual or biennial (every other year) screening.

The USPSTF 2016 guidelines are currently being revised as the organization feels that beginning annual mammograms for women over the age of 50 may increase the risk for overdiagnosis and overtreatment, says USA Today. It also recommends biennial screening for women 50 to 74 years of age.

However, a recent cross-sectional study found that 87.2% of breast centers across the country do recommend that women begin screening at the age of 40. And Daignault points out that one in every 100 people diagnosed with breast cancer are men. About 2,300 men will be diagnosed every year, and 500 will die.

“If you haven’t seen your primary doctor during the pandemic, schedule that follow-up appointment,” advises Daignault. Educate yourself about screening guidelines at the USPSTF website.

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