The journal "Frontiers in Oncology" published an observational study by Peacock and colleagues on the incidence, clinical stage at presentation, and survival of head and neck cancer patients in 2020, using data from the Belgian Cancer Registry. Given that risk factors for head and neck cancer overlap with those for COVID-19, there was significant concern about underdiagnosis and stage shifts for this rapidly progressing cancer within the study population.

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, non-essential health services in Belgium were suspended, leading to widespread underdiagnosis of cancers, including head and neck cancer. The study found that 2,491 cases of head and neck cancer were diagnosed in Belgium in 2020, 9.5% fewer than in 2017-2019. The underdiagnosis was particularly notable among males, patients aged 50-79 and those with oral cavity cancer. Additionally, there was a shift towards more advanced stages at diagnosis, especially in larynx and oropharynx tumors and in older male patients. This resulted in a 2.4 percentage point decline in 1-year relative survival, highlighting the pandemic's significant negative impact on head and neck cancer diagnosis and mortality.

The full article is available via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10548264/