How has COVID-19 pandemic in United States affected cancer patients?

A new study shows that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of working-age American adults without health insurance did not change, despite rising unemployment, and the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors decreased. The study, published in the journal CANCER, looked at individuals with and without a history of cancer.

Cancer survivors often have high health care needs and may be vulnerable to the effects of economic and medical shocks, such as those that occurred in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For the study, Dr. Xuesong Han of the American Cancer Society and her colleagues used data from the nationwide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine changes in several health-related indicators in 2020 among cancer survivors, comparing them to adults without a history of cancer. Specifically, they assessed health insurance coverage, access to health care, employment, health behaviors, and self-reported health status.

Among adults aged 18-64 years, the uninsured rate did not change significantly in 2020, despite rising unemployment. The prevalence of unhealthy behaviors, such as lack of sleep and smoking, declined in 2020, and self-reported health improved, regardless of cancer history. The decline in smoking was greater among cancer survivors than among adults without cancer.

"Our results suggest that the pandemic may have encouraged people to adopt some healthier behaviors, and national and regional policy responses to the pandemic regarding insurance coverage, unemployment benefits, and financial assistance may have contributed to the positive changes observed," Dr. Han noted.