In the year from spring when the infection of the new coronavirus spreads, the number of elderly people who have undergone cancer screening has decreased by 20% to 30% compared to before the spread of the infection, and the elderly tend to refrain from it. I found out in a survey by the Cancer Society.


This trend is still going on, and the association is calling for a consultation.

The Japan Cancer Society has compared the number of people who received nationally recommended gastric cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer screenings nationwide in 2020 with those of the previous year by age group. I analyzed it.



According to this, in the case of gastric cancer,


the rate of decrease in ▽ under 40 years old was 3.4% compared to the previous year,


▽ 27.2% in the late 60s, ▽


21.0% in the early 70s,


▽ late 70s .

The rate of decrease was 33.4% for the elderly.



A similar tendency was also seen in lung cancer and colorectal cancer, which increase with age, and the rate of decrease in the number of cancers found was also large.



According to the association, elderly people who are at high risk of becoming severely ill with corona were more likely to refrain from seeing them because of concerns about the dense environment, and this tendency is still continuing.



Director Hiroshi Konishi said, "Many cancers are at higher risk for the elderly. I think some people have been refraining from screening for a long time, but since the screening facilities are taking measures against infection, I would like them to see this." I'm talking.