Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population-based cancer registry

Background: Globally the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to national health systems and beyond. However, its impact on health surveillance systems, such as population-based cancer registry (PBCR), has not yet been reported. Here we sought to evaluate the effect of the pandemic throughout the world on the PBCR operations. Methods: We investigated the impact of the pandemic on three main areas of PBCR operations, namely, staffing, financing and data collection. Data was collected using an online survey administered in May to June 2020 to 596 registries and members of the International Association for Cancer Registry. Findings: After exclusion of incomplete surveys, responses from 214 registries (a response rate of 35.9%) from 91 countries were included. Among respondents, 65.6% reported a disruption in PBCR operations ranging between 45% in south-eastern Asian registries to 87% in Caribbean and Latin American registries, with higher proportions of disruption reported in registries in countries with low Human Development Index (HDI, 81.3% in high versus 57.7% in low). The largest disruption in data collection was for active collection from sources, which varied between 6 to 67% across data sources. For registry financing, 56% registries in low HDI countries reported current or future decreases in funding versus 7% in very high HDI countries. Interpretation: With two-thirds of all included registries worldwide reporting disruption in their operations during the early COVID-19 pandemic, an urgent action plan to ensure continuity in population-based cancer data collection is needed. Commitment to support operation, improved electronic recording and/or expansion of passive data reporting could ensure continuity of cancer surveillance worldwide.

SOERJOMATARAM Isabelle;  BARDOT Aude;  AITKEN Joanne;  PINEROS Marion;  ZNAOR Ariana;  STELIAROVA-FOUCHER Eva;  KOHLER Betsy;  BETTIO Manola;  MATSUDA Tomohiro;  CANCELA Marianna De Camargo;  MERY Les;  BRAY Freddie; 

2021-12-02

WILEY

JRC123732

0020-7136 (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC123732,   

10.1002/ijc.33792 (online),