HALIFAX Maritime health officials admit the COVID-19 pandemic did have a significant impact on cancer screening and surgeries, but say the backlog is clearing up. Advocates, though, aren t so sure. Cancer patient Anamarija Wagner, who shared her story with CTV News Tuesday after she was told a scheduled medical appointment needed to be rebooked, says a lack of doctors and specialists is a big part of the problem. So, when you go to your family physician, who s also already overworked, and you tell them what the problem is, usually, they ll say well, let s wait and see, said Wagner. And, I m sorry - a lot of us don t have the wait-and-see time. A lot of us aren t on very good time-lines.
OTTAWA As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, doctors are again urging people to seek medical attention if they have nagging concerns about their health. The reluctance to see a doctor makes it more difficult for the early detection of certain types of cancers. So many cancers do better if they’re diagnosed early,” says Dr. Sandeep Sehdev, medical oncologist with the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre. Screening is important, because it picks up cancer at an earlier stage; with breast cancer, we’ve known for years that the earlier you pick it up, the better the cure rate - and, the lesser the intensity of therapy we have to pursue.