Serious health consequences due to delay in melanoma diagnosis
Published: Thursday, Feb 15th 2024, 17:10
Back to Live Feed
111,464 years of life lost and around 7.11 billion Swiss francs have been lost in Europe as a result of Covid-19-related delays in skin cancer diagnoses. This was announced by the University Hospital Basel on Thursday, based on several medical studies.
Population data from 31 European countries served as the basis for this multicenter study, according to the press release. Models were developed to calculate the years of life lost and the direct and indirect costs of delayed melanoma diagnoses.
According to the Global Cancer Observatory, melanoma was the seventh most common type of cancer in Europe in 2020.
The study shows how the COVID-19 pandemic not only had a direct impact on health, but also led to serious consequences, the report continues. The results should be seen as an appeal to ensure adequate and broad-based healthcare even during times of crisis such as a pandemic.
©Keystone/SDA