Hong Kong cancer screening rates fall by up to 44 per cent since onset of Covid-19 pandemic, survey finds
- More than half of survey respondents worry visiting clinics or hospitals will increase the risk of contracting coronavirus
- Colonoscopy rate has fallen the most, followed by the figure for pap smears
The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society polled 1,002 people and found the screening rate for four types of the disease had dropped between 26 and 44 per cent compared with pre-pandemic figures, with 55 per cent of respondents worried that visiting clinics or hospitals would increase the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
“They are still delaying their screening tests with various excuses even though the epidemic situation has been brought under control,” Dr Liu King-yin, chairman of the society’s cancer education subcommittee, said while releasing the survey results on Sunday. “It’s concerning that the rates have not yet rebounded significantly.”
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Hong Kong. According to data from the Hospital Authority’s Cancer Registry, more than 35,000 new cases and nearly 15,000 deaths from the disease were recorded in 2019, accounting for more than 30 per cent of all deaths that year.
The survey was carried out between October 31 and November 15.
Among four types of screenings that respondents were asked if they had undergone, the rate for colonoscopy had fallen the most – from 21 per cent before the pandemic to 12 per cent this year, a drastic decline of 44 per cent.