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New Research Uncovers the Relationship Between Cancer Mortality and COVID-19 in the USA

A new scientific article by Chelsea L. Hansen, Cécile Viboud, and Lone Simonsen examines the relationship between cancer mortality and COVID-19 at the population level in the USA. The researchers analyzed death data for six types of cancer as well as diabetes and Alzheimer’s to understand the pandemic’s impact on mortality patterns.
Published by:
  • PandemiX Center (Research Centre)
    • A red cell/virus
    By: Chelsea L Hansen, Cécile Viboud og Lone Simonsen

    You can read the full scientific article here

    The study shows that cancer mortality increased by only 3% in 2020 compared to before the pandemic, corresponding to approximately 13,600 excess deaths. The increase was higher for less deadly cancers such as breast and colorectal cancer (2-7%) than for cancers with low survival rates such as lung and pancreatic cancer (0-1%). In comparison, deaths related to diabetes increased by 37% and Alzheimer’s by 19%.

    The researchers conclude that the differences in mortality can primarily be explained by differences in life expectancy, where the risk of death from deadly cancers exceeds the risk of death from COVID-19. They also highlight that changes in coding practices during the pandemic may have affected the registration of causes of death, but the overall increase in cancer mortality remained modest.

    The article emphasizes the importance of considering multiple causes of death to get a more accurate picture of the pandemic’s impact. The researchers suggest that future research should focus on additional outcomes such as excess hospitalizations, long-term COVID-19 symptoms in cancer patients, changes in screening practices during the pandemic, and long-term patterns in cancer mortality.

    You can read the full scientific article here