Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries
Background and purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted substantially on cancer healthcare, including the temporary suspension of screening activities. We compared cancer incidence rates and stage during 2020–2021 to pre-pandemic rates in the Nordic countries. Material and methods: Using data from t...
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Medical Journals Sweden
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Acta Oncologica |
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| Online Access: | https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actaoncologica/article/view/42079 |
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| author | Anna Johansson Anna Skog Tom Børge Johannesen Tor Åge Myklebust Simon M. Kønig Charlotte Wessel Skovlund Lina Steinrud Mørch Søren Friis Marnar Fríðheim Kristiansen David Pettersson Eva María Gudmundsdóttir Nanna Margrét Kristinsdóttir Helgi Birgisson Sandra Irenaeus Johan Ahlgren Mats Lambe Elli Hirvonen Janne Pitkäniemi Giske Ursin |
| author_facet | Anna Johansson Anna Skog Tom Børge Johannesen Tor Åge Myklebust Simon M. Kønig Charlotte Wessel Skovlund Lina Steinrud Mørch Søren Friis Marnar Fríðheim Kristiansen David Pettersson Eva María Gudmundsdóttir Nanna Margrét Kristinsdóttir Helgi Birgisson Sandra Irenaeus Johan Ahlgren Mats Lambe Elli Hirvonen Janne Pitkäniemi Giske Ursin |
| author_sort | Anna Johansson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted substantially on cancer healthcare, including the temporary suspension of screening activities. We compared cancer incidence rates and stage during 2020–2021 to pre-pandemic rates in the Nordic countries.
Material and methods: Using data from the national cancer registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, we estimated age-, sex-, and period-adjusted incidence rate ratios, expressed as relative percentage change (%) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing rates in 2020–2021 to those in 2017–2019 (pre-pandemic).
Results: In 2020–2021, 340,675 cancer cases were diagnosed. The incidence rates declined during the first pandemic wave (Q2 2020), ranging from –21.7% [95% CI: –23.3%; –20.2%] (Sweden) to –7.9% [–17.7%; 3.0%] (Iceland). Incidence rates also declined in the second pandemic wave (Q1 2021), ranging from –8.6% [–10.2%; –6.9%] (Sweden) to –2.3% [–4.6%; 0.1%] (Norway), and in Sweden also by –3.1% [–4.8%; –1.3%] in the third pandemic wave (Q4 2021). Stage I breast cancer incidence declined during 2020 in Denmark/Norway/Sweden, with some catch-up in stage II incidence in 2021. Prostate cancer rates declined in Denmark/Finland/Norway/Sweden during 2020–2021, while melanoma rates declined in Finland in 2020. During 2020, colon cancer rates declined in Denmark and Iceland, while rectal cancer rates declined in Denmark, and lung and kidney cancer rates declined in Norway.
Interpretation: During 2020–2021, cancer incidence rates declined across the Nordic countries with the largest declines in Sweden. During the third pandemic wave, the incidence rates were mostly similar to pre-pandemic rates. Changes in cancer stage may reflect reduced screening activities.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0c01b1a2b7643b9bf203685f3d35bcb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1651-226X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Medical Journals Sweden |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Oncologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0c01b1a2b7643b9bf203685f3d35bcb2025-02-12T08:21:01ZengMedical Journals SwedenActa Oncologica1651-226X2025-02-016410.2340/1651-226X.2025.42079Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countriesAnna Johansson0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1191-7231Anna Skog1Tom Børge Johannesen2Tor Åge Myklebust3Simon M. Kønig4Charlotte Wessel Skovlund5Lina Steinrud Mørch6Søren Friis7Marnar Fríðheim Kristiansen8David Pettersson9Eva María Gudmundsdóttir10Nanna Margrét Kristinsdóttir11Helgi Birgisson12Sandra Irenaeus13Johan Ahlgren14Mats Lambe15Elli Hirvonen16Janne Pitkäniemi17Giske Ursin18Cancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenCancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayCancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayCancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Research and Innovation, Møre and Romsdal Hospital Trust, Ålesund, NorwayDanish Cancer Institute, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, DenmarkDanish Cancer Institute, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, DenmarkDanish Cancer Institute, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, DenmarkDanish Cancer Institute, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, DenmarkCenter of Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsNational Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, SwedenICS Research and Registration Center, Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavík, IcelandICS Research and Registration Center, Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavík, IcelandICS Research and Registration Center, Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavík, IcelandRegional Cancer Center Central Sweden, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenRegional Cancer Center Central Sweden, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Regional Cancer Center Central Sweden, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, SwedenFinnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, FinlandCancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USABackground and purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted substantially on cancer healthcare, including the temporary suspension of screening activities. We compared cancer incidence rates and stage during 2020–2021 to pre-pandemic rates in the Nordic countries. Material and methods: Using data from the national cancer registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, we estimated age-, sex-, and period-adjusted incidence rate ratios, expressed as relative percentage change (%) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing rates in 2020–2021 to those in 2017–2019 (pre-pandemic). Results: In 2020–2021, 340,675 cancer cases were diagnosed. The incidence rates declined during the first pandemic wave (Q2 2020), ranging from –21.7% [95% CI: –23.3%; –20.2%] (Sweden) to –7.9% [–17.7%; 3.0%] (Iceland). Incidence rates also declined in the second pandemic wave (Q1 2021), ranging from –8.6% [–10.2%; –6.9%] (Sweden) to –2.3% [–4.6%; 0.1%] (Norway), and in Sweden also by –3.1% [–4.8%; –1.3%] in the third pandemic wave (Q4 2021). Stage I breast cancer incidence declined during 2020 in Denmark/Norway/Sweden, with some catch-up in stage II incidence in 2021. Prostate cancer rates declined in Denmark/Finland/Norway/Sweden during 2020–2021, while melanoma rates declined in Finland in 2020. During 2020, colon cancer rates declined in Denmark and Iceland, while rectal cancer rates declined in Denmark, and lung and kidney cancer rates declined in Norway. Interpretation: During 2020–2021, cancer incidence rates declined across the Nordic countries with the largest declines in Sweden. During the third pandemic wave, the incidence rates were mostly similar to pre-pandemic rates. Changes in cancer stage may reflect reduced screening activities. https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actaoncologica/article/view/42079COVID-19cancerincidencecancer stagingNordic |
| spellingShingle | Anna Johansson Anna Skog Tom Børge Johannesen Tor Åge Myklebust Simon M. Kønig Charlotte Wessel Skovlund Lina Steinrud Mørch Søren Friis Marnar Fríðheim Kristiansen David Pettersson Eva María Gudmundsdóttir Nanna Margrét Kristinsdóttir Helgi Birgisson Sandra Irenaeus Johan Ahlgren Mats Lambe Elli Hirvonen Janne Pitkäniemi Giske Ursin Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries Acta Oncologica COVID-19 cancer incidence cancer staging Nordic |
| title | Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries |
| title_full | Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries |
| title_fullStr | Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries |
| title_short | Changes in cancer incidence and stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 in the Nordic countries |
| title_sort | changes in cancer incidence and stage during the covid 19 pandemic in 2020 2021 in the nordic countries |
| topic | COVID-19 cancer incidence cancer staging Nordic |
| url | https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actaoncologica/article/view/42079 |
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