In a recent editorial in Science publication, the nation’s top cancer doctor, Norman “Ned” Sharpless, expressed concern that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased screenings, the number of cancer deaths could dramatically increase over the next 10 years.
Dr. Christine Emmick from Brown Surgical Associates Center for Breast Care spoke with Channel 10’s Barbara Morse about the Sharpless’ predictions of 10,000 excess deaths and what could be done about them.
“Looking at the numbers on the study, that’s a conservative estimate too,” said Dr. Christine Emmick, a breast cancer surgeon at The Miriam Hospital. “The incidence of cancer is not going anywhere. It’s just the diagnosis isn’t happening because of our lack of screening.”
Sharpless said he was worried that as many as 90% of Americans are not being screened for breast and colon cancers.
Emmick said the best way to head off this problem is for people to call and schedule the screenings they may have missed during the shutdown.
For more information on the editorial in Journal Science click here.
