A study published on February 5, 2026 in JAMA Oncology entitled Survival of Patients Diagnosed With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic reported that a population-based cohort study of more than 1 million people in the United States found that patients diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and 2021, when compared with 2015 to 2019, had significant reductions in survival when diagnosed at both early and late stages, resulting in an estimated 17, 390 more deaths (13.1%) within 1 year of diagnosis than expected.
The study’s investigators obtained 1-year cause-specific survival (CSS) data for patients diagnosed with a first primary malignant cancer in the United States between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 21 Registries (SEER-21) database. SEER-21 covered approximately 41.9% of the U.S. population during the study period.
A total of 1 ,008, 012 individuals were diagnosed with cancer in the United States during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including 473 ,781 in 2020: 50.1% female and 49.9% male; 51.0% diagnosed at ≥65 years; 11.5% Black, 15.8% Hispanic, 64.1% White, and 7.4% other race, including Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander, and 534, 231 cases (53.0%) in 2021: 50.3% female and 49.7% male; 51.9% diagnosed at ≥65 years; 11.7% Black, 16.2% Hispanic, 62.9% White, and 7.9% other race, including Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander.
Among these, 143, 577 individuals experienced a cancer-related death within 1 year of diagnosis (69, 779 in 2020 and 73 ,798 in 2021), and 63 ,967 were lost to follow-up (26, 784 in 2020 and 37, 183 in 2021). The resulting 1-year cause-specific survival rates were 84.84% in 2020 and 85.69% in 2021.
Regarding site-specific cancer survival, the study divided diagnoses into low-survival cancer sites or high-incidence/high-survival sites. The study found that people with cancer sites with traditionally low survival rates had higher rates of 1-year mortality in 2020-2021. Significant site-specific survival rates reductions were found for early-stage diagnoses of esophageal cancer (-3.89 and -3.67 percentage points, respectively) and colorectal cancer (-1.08 and -0.78 percentage points), as well as late-stage diagnoses of prostate cancer (-0.64 and -0.77 percentage points).
The investigators stated with regard to their findings: “This cohort study’s findings of significantly decreased rates of short-term cancer survival during the pandemic’s first 2 years are in line with previously documented interruptions to screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Swift action should be taken to increase cancer screening, rebuild healthcare capacity, and improve patient communication to combat longer-term consequences and prepare for potential future disruptions. Continued surveillance is needed to assess whether additional changes in survival outcomes extended further into and after the pandemic.”
If you or a loved one were injured (or worse) as a result of the misdiagnosis of cancer in the United States, you should promptly find a medical malpractice lawyer in your state who may investigate your cancer malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a cancer medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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