Collateral damage: the impact on outcomes from cancer surgery of the COVID-19 pandemic

English modelling study found that for cancer resection surgery, average life years gained are 18.1 under standard conditions and 17.1 or15.9 with a delay of 3 or 6 months, respectively(corresponding to average loss of 0.97 or 2.19 life years per patient owing to delayed surgery)

SPS commentary:

Authors highlight that modest delays in surgery for cancer incur significant impact on survival, and that to avoid a downstream public healthcrisis, diagnostic and surgical pathways must be maintained at normal throughput, with rapid attention to any backlog already accrued.

Annals of Oncology