In Belgium, nearly 5,000 fewer cancers were diagnosed during the pandemic. Dr. El Ali has a message to convey to the population.
The postponement of undetected cancers will cause excess mortality in the coming months. “It’s a certainty”says Dr. El Ali, head of the medical oncology department at Iris Sud hospitals. “And in Belgium, nearly 5,000 fewer cancers were diagnosed during the pandemic.”
The interruption of the continuity of oncological care and the impossibility of implementing the essential multidisciplinary approach due to the coronavirus pandemic are of concern to cancer specialists. And while cancer surgery has been maintained as a priority over elective operations, it remains too isolated from other care. Faced with this situation, Dr. El Ali has a message to convey to the population. “At the hospital, we are no longer afraid of the virus, so I advise citizens not to hesitate to come and get tested, to keep in touch with their doctor and to have tests because cancer diagnosed early enough is cancer. curable, today’s oncology is no longer that of yesterday, we can really save lives without any problem. I think that today we have to trust the healthcare system and medicine, the treatment of cancers is no longer the same as 30 years ago, each approach is indeed personalized, each patient has a treatment The hospital is safe today, we must break the fear of this virus, come and get detect and come directly when you have a doubt, a worrying symptom, you should not hesitate any longer”he recommends.
