This report looks at the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening in 2020, by presenting the number of screens between January and September 2020, and how these compare to the number of screens over the same period in the previous comparable year. The impact of COVID-19 was clearest for BreastScreen Australia which experienced a drop in screening mammograms in April 2020 due to a suspension of BreastScreen services. Since then the number of screening mammograms has increased each month.
COVID-19
This release includes data from the COVID-19 period.
- Cat. no: CAN 136
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In April 2020, around 1,100 screening mammograms were performed, compared to more than 74,000 in April 2018
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There were fewer cervical screening tests in 2020 but COVID-19 impact cannot yet be quantified due to program changes
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The number of bowel cancer screening tests did not clearly correspond with COVID‑19 restrictions
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Behind the data episode 2: Cancer screening and COVID-19 in Australia