Abstract
Background: Comparing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of newly diagnosed breast tumors and their tumor stage between the Netherlands and Norway will help us understand the effect of differences in governmental and social reactions towards the pandemic. Methods: Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017–2021 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Cancer Registry of Norway. The crude breast cancer incidence rate (tumors per 100,000 women) during the first (March-September 2020), second (October 2020-April 2021), and Delta COVID-19 wave (May-December 2021) was compared with the incidence rate in the corresponding periods in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Incidence rates were stratified by age group, method of detection, and clinical tumor stage. Results: During the first wave breast cancer incidence declined to a larger extent in the Netherlands than in Norway (27.7% vs. 17.2% decrease, respectively). In both countries, incidence decreased in women eligible for screening. In the Netherlands, incidence also decreased in women not eligible for screening. During the second wave an increase in the incidence of stage IV tumors in women aged 50–69 years was seen in the Netherlands. During the Delta wave an increase in overall incidence and incidence of stage I tumors was seen in Norway. Conclusion: Alterations in breast cancer incidence and tumor stage seem related to a combined effect of the suspension of the screening program, health care avoidance due to the severity of the pandemic, and other unknown factors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102481 |
| Journal | Cancer epidemiology |
| Volume | 87 |
| Early online date | 27 Oct 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Keywords
- Breast cancer
- COVID-19
- Incidence
- Screening
- Tumor stage
- UT-Hybrid-D
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- 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102481Licence: CC BY
- Eijkelboom_de Munck_Siesling_NorwayNL COVID brca_CANEP2023Final published version, 2.48 MBLicence: CC BY
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In: Cancer epidemiology, Vol. 87, 102481, 12.2023.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer incidence and tumor stage in the Netherlands and Norway
T2 - A population-based study
AU - Eijkelboom, Anouk H.
AU - de Munck, Linda
AU - Larsen, Marthe
AU - Bijlsma, Maarten J.
AU - Tjan-Heijnen, Vivianne C.G.
AU - van Gils, Carla H.
AU - Broeders, Mireille J.M.
AU - Nygård, Jan F.
AU - Lobbes, Marc B.I.
AU - Helsper, Charles W.
AU - Pijnappel, Ruud M.
AU - Strobbe, Luc J.A.
AU - Wesseling, Jelle
AU - Hofvind, Solveig
AU - Siesling, Sabine
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), project number: 10430022010014, and by the René Vogels Stichting. The funders had no role in study design, collection/analysis/interpretation of data, writing the report, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We thank the NCR for providing the data and their data managers for collecting the data. The authors acknowledge the members of the COVID and Cancer-NL Consortium (ZonMW: projectnumber 10430022010014). Dr. J.C. van Hoeve, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht; prof. dr. M.A.W. Merkx, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht and IQ healthcare, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen; prof. dr. N.J. de Wit, department of General Practice, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht University, Utrecht; M.Sc. I. Dingemans, Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations (NFK), Utrecht; prof. dr. I.D. Nagtegaal, department of Pathology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, on behalf of the Automated Pathology Archive (PALGA); Drs. M. van der Schaaf, department of Insight and Innovation, Dutch Hospital Data (DHD), Utrecht; prof. dr. H.C.P.M. van Weert, department of General Practice, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam; prof. dr. M. Verheij, department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, on behalf of SONCOS (Dutch Multidisciplinary Oncology Foundation); all the Netherlands. Finally, the authors acknowledge the members of the NABON COVID-19 consortium. Dr. E.J.T. Luiten, department of Surgery, Amphia Ziekenhuis, Breda; dr. A.E. van Leeuwen-Stok, Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group, Amsterdam; M.Sc. C. Guerrero Paez, Dutch Breast Cancer Society (BVN), Utrecht; dr. M.E.M.M. Bos, department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam; dr. A. Jager, Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute Rotterdam, Rotterdam; dr. L.B. Koppert, Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; dr. M.J. Hooning, department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; Prof. dr. L.J. Boersma, department of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), School for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW), Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht; prof. dr. M.L. Smidt, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht and GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht; prof. dr. S. Linn, divisions of Diagnostic Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute—Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, and department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht; prof. dr. M.T.F.D. Vrancken Peeters, Department of Surgery, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, and Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam; prof. dr. M.K. Schmidt, division of Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute—Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam; dr. C.P. Schröder, department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen; prof. dr. H.M. Verkooijen, Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht; dr. D.H.J.G. van den Bongard, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam; dr. M. Bessems, department of Surgery, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, Den Bosch; dr. A.H. Honkoop, department of Medical Oncology, Isala Clinics, Zwolle; dr. P.J. Westenend, Laboratory of Pathology, Dordrecht; dr. S. van der Velde, department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC/VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam; dr. C.W. Menke-van der Houven van Oordt, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre; dr. E. Manten-Horst, Dutch AYA “Young & Cancer” Carenetwork, Regional AYA Carenetwork Radboudumc, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; IKNL, Utrecht; dr. N.T. van Ravesteyn, department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam; dr. J.C. Korevaar, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht; dr. J. Verloop, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht; dr. E.J.M. Siemerink, Department of Internal Medicine, Ziekenhuis Groep Twente, Hengelo/Almelo; dr. T. van Dalen, department of Surgery, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, Utrecht; M.Sc. A.W.G. van der Velden, department of Internal Medicine, Martini Hospital, Groningen; and prof. dr. M.A.M. Mureau, department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam; all the Netherlands. All data collected for the study, including a data dictionary defining each field in the set, will be made available via the NCR (https://iknl.nl/en/ncr/apply-for-data) and CRN (https://helsedata.no/en/forvaltere/cancer-registry-of-norway/cancer-registry-of-norway/#nav-heading-3) upon request and after approval of a proposal from the date of publication. The plan for the statistical analysis will be made available by the corresponding author upon request. Funding Information: This work was supported by The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), project number: 10430022010014 , and by the René Vogels Stichting . The funders had no role in study design, collection/analysis/interpretation of data, writing the report, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We thank the NCR for providing the data and their data managers for collecting the data. The authors acknowledge the members of the COVID and Cancer-NL Consortium (ZonMW: projectnumber 10430022010014). Dr. J.C. van Hoeve, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht; prof. dr. M.A.W. Merkx, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht and IQ healthcare, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen; prof. dr. N.J. de Wit, department of General Practice, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht University, Utrecht; M.Sc. I. Dingemans, Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations (NFK), Utrecht; prof. dr. I.D. Nagtegaal, department of Pathology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, on behalf of the Automated Pathology Archive (PALGA); Drs. M. van der Schaaf, department of Insight and Innovation, Dutch Hospital Data (DHD), Utrecht; prof. dr. H.C.P.M. van Weert, department of General Practice, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam; prof. dr. M. Verheij, department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, on behalf of SONCOS (Dutch Multidisciplinary Oncology Foundation); all the Netherlands. Finally, the authors acknowledge the members of the NABON COVID-19 consortium. Dr. E.J.T. Luiten, department of Surgery, Amphia Ziekenhuis, Breda; dr. A.E. van Leeuwen-Stok, Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group, Amsterdam; M.Sc. C. Guerrero Paez, Dutch Breast Cancer Society (BVN), Utrecht; dr. M.E.M.M. Bos, department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam; dr. A. Jager, Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute Rotterdam, Rotterdam; dr. L.B. Koppert, Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; dr. M.J. Hooning, department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; Prof. dr. L.J. Boersma, department of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), School for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW), Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht; prof. dr. M.L. Smidt, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht and GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht; prof. dr. S. Linn, divisions of Diagnostic Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute—Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, and department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht; prof. dr. M.T.F.D. Vrancken Peeters, Department of Surgery, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, and Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam; prof. dr. M.K. Schmidt, division of Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute—Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam; dr. C.P. Schröder, department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen; prof. dr. H.M. Verkooijen, Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht; dr. D.H.J.G. van den Bongard, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam; dr. M. Bessems, department of Surgery, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, Den Bosch; dr. A.H. Honkoop, department of Medical Oncology, Isala Clinics, Zwolle; dr. P.J. Westenend, Laboratory of Pathology, Dordrecht; dr. S. van der Velde, department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC/VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam; dr. C.W. Menke-van der Houven van Oordt, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre; dr. E. Manten-Horst, Dutch AYA “Young & Cancer” Carenetwork, Regional AYA Carenetwork Radboudumc, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; IKNL, Utrecht; dr. N.T. van Ravesteyn, department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam; dr. J.C. Korevaar, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht; dr. J. Verloop, department of research and development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht; dr. E.J.M. Siemerink, Department of Internal Medicine, Ziekenhuis Groep Twente, Hengelo/Almelo; dr. T. van Dalen, department of Surgery, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, Utrecht; M.Sc. A.W.G. van der Velden, department of Internal Medicine, Martini Hospital, Groningen; and prof. dr. M.A.M. Mureau, department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam; all the Netherlands. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Background: Comparing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of newly diagnosed breast tumors and their tumor stage between the Netherlands and Norway will help us understand the effect of differences in governmental and social reactions towards the pandemic. Methods: Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017–2021 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Cancer Registry of Norway. The crude breast cancer incidence rate (tumors per 100,000 women) during the first (March-September 2020), second (October 2020-April 2021), and Delta COVID-19 wave (May-December 2021) was compared with the incidence rate in the corresponding periods in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Incidence rates were stratified by age group, method of detection, and clinical tumor stage. Results: During the first wave breast cancer incidence declined to a larger extent in the Netherlands than in Norway (27.7% vs. 17.2% decrease, respectively). In both countries, incidence decreased in women eligible for screening. In the Netherlands, incidence also decreased in women not eligible for screening. During the second wave an increase in the incidence of stage IV tumors in women aged 50–69 years was seen in the Netherlands. During the Delta wave an increase in overall incidence and incidence of stage I tumors was seen in Norway. Conclusion: Alterations in breast cancer incidence and tumor stage seem related to a combined effect of the suspension of the screening program, health care avoidance due to the severity of the pandemic, and other unknown factors.
AB - Background: Comparing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of newly diagnosed breast tumors and their tumor stage between the Netherlands and Norway will help us understand the effect of differences in governmental and social reactions towards the pandemic. Methods: Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017–2021 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Cancer Registry of Norway. The crude breast cancer incidence rate (tumors per 100,000 women) during the first (March-September 2020), second (October 2020-April 2021), and Delta COVID-19 wave (May-December 2021) was compared with the incidence rate in the corresponding periods in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Incidence rates were stratified by age group, method of detection, and clinical tumor stage. Results: During the first wave breast cancer incidence declined to a larger extent in the Netherlands than in Norway (27.7% vs. 17.2% decrease, respectively). In both countries, incidence decreased in women eligible for screening. In the Netherlands, incidence also decreased in women not eligible for screening. During the second wave an increase in the incidence of stage IV tumors in women aged 50–69 years was seen in the Netherlands. During the Delta wave an increase in overall incidence and incidence of stage I tumors was seen in Norway. Conclusion: Alterations in breast cancer incidence and tumor stage seem related to a combined effect of the suspension of the screening program, health care avoidance due to the severity of the pandemic, and other unknown factors.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - COVID-19
KW - Incidence
KW - Screening
KW - Tumor stage
KW - UT-Hybrid-D
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85174925177
U2 - 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102481
DO - 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102481
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85174925177
SN - 1877-7821
VL - 87
JO - Cancer epidemiology
JF - Cancer epidemiology
M1 - 102481
ER -