COVID-19 Causing Colon Screen Delays
May 25, 2021
Many people put off colonoscopies because of the pandemic. A study by Epic Health Research Network found an 86% drop in that potential lifesaving test from January through April of last year.
According to Jeffery Nelson, M.D., FACS, FASCRS Surgical Director, The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Mercy, could hit women especially hard as colon cancer is the third most common cancer in women.
"Talk to a medical care provider if you can about what your risk factors are. Get your individual risk assessed. It is different for everyone. Some people are average, medium, high risk for colon cancer," Dr. Nelson said.
To view Mercy colorectal surgeon Dr. Jeffery Nelson’s interview regarding delays in colon cancer screenings due to COVID-19, click here.
About Mercy
Founded in 1874 in Downtown Baltimore by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is a 183-licensed bed, acute care, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Mercy has been recognized as a high-performing Maryland hospital (U.S. News & World Report); has achieved an overall 5-Star quality, safety, and patient experience rating (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); is A-rated for Hospital Safety (Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade); and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet™ hospital. Mercy Health Services is a not-for-profit health system and the parent company of Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Personal Physicians.
Media Contact
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Office: 410-332-9714
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Email: dcollins@mdmercy.com