TY - JOUR
T1 - The national FIT-based colorectal cancer screening program in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Kortlever, Tim L.
AU - de Jonge, Lucie
AU - Wisse, Pieter H.A.
AU - Seriese, Iris
AU - Otto-Terlouw, Patricia
AU - van Leerdam, Monique E.
AU - Spaander, Manon C.W.
AU - Dekker, Evelien
AU - Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many healthcare services worldwide. Like many other nations, the Netherlands experienced large numbers of individuals affected by COVID-19 in 2020, leading to increased demands on hospitals and intensive care units. The Dutch Ministry of Health decided to suspend the Dutch biennial fecal immunochemical test (FIT) based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program from March 16, 2020. FIT invitations were resumed on June 3. In this study, we describe the short-term effects of this suspension on a myriad of relevant screening outcomes. As a result of the suspension, a quarter of the individuals due for screening between March and November 2020 had not received their invitation for FIT screening by November 30, 2020. Furthermore, 57.8% of those who received a consecutive FIT between the restart and November 30, 2020, received it outside the upper limit of the standard screening interval (26 months). Median time between positive FIT and colonoscopy did not change as a result of the pandemic. Participation rates of FIT screening and follow-up colonoscopy in the months just before and during the suspension were significantly lower than expected, but returned to normal levels after the suspension. Based on the anticipated 2020 cohort size, we estimate that the number of individuals with advanced neoplasia currently detected up until November 2020 was 31.2% lower compared to what would have been expected without a pandemic. Future studies should monitor the impact on long-term screening outcomes as a result of the pandemic.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many healthcare services worldwide. Like many other nations, the Netherlands experienced large numbers of individuals affected by COVID-19 in 2020, leading to increased demands on hospitals and intensive care units. The Dutch Ministry of Health decided to suspend the Dutch biennial fecal immunochemical test (FIT) based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program from March 16, 2020. FIT invitations were resumed on June 3. In this study, we describe the short-term effects of this suspension on a myriad of relevant screening outcomes. As a result of the suspension, a quarter of the individuals due for screening between March and November 2020 had not received their invitation for FIT screening by November 30, 2020. Furthermore, 57.8% of those who received a consecutive FIT between the restart and November 30, 2020, received it outside the upper limit of the standard screening interval (26 months). Median time between positive FIT and colonoscopy did not change as a result of the pandemic. Participation rates of FIT screening and follow-up colonoscopy in the months just before and during the suspension were significantly lower than expected, but returned to normal levels after the suspension. Based on the anticipated 2020 cohort size, we estimate that the number of individuals with advanced neoplasia currently detected up until November 2020 was 31.2% lower compared to what would have been expected without a pandemic. Future studies should monitor the impact on long-term screening outcomes as a result of the pandemic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110875551&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106643
DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106643
M3 - Article
C2 - 34217421
AN - SCOPUS:85110875551
VL - 151
SP - 106643
JO - Preventive Medicine
JF - Preventive Medicine
SN - 0091-7435
ER -
