Doctor brands lockdown cancer plan a ‘disgrace’

A retired oncologist says hundreds will die from cancer found too late due to the nation-wide shutdown, and catchup process could take years. Florence Kerr reports.

The 22 Covid-19 deaths will pale in comparison to the wave of deaths from cancer that will hit New Zealand, a respected oncologist predicts.

Recently retired oncologist Dr David Lamb, who worked in the cancer sector for more than 40 years, was the head of radiation oncology at Wellington Cancer Centre, and currently holds an academic position at Victoria University, has called the Ministry of Health’s handling of cancer diagnostics during lockdown a ‘‘disgrace’’. He says the move has signed the death warrant for hundreds of Kiwis.

And despite the Ministry of Health pouring millions of dollars into the health sector to catch up on cancer diagnostics missed during lockdown, Lamb says it’s too little, too late.

In May, a report by the newly formed Cancer Control Agency found there were 1031 fewer cancer registrations in April 2020 compared to April 2019, a 47 per cent decrease, due to non-urgent diagnostic services being deferred during lockdown.

The figure is in line with what other countries experienced during lockdowns designed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The report has prompted swift action from district health boards (DHBs) to catch up on diagnostics.

But Lamb said the catch up would only have worked if New Zealand was on top of diagnostics prior to the virus hitting New Zealand.

‘‘The 22 deaths from Covid is going to appear tiny compared to the excess deaths from cancer as a result of lockdown,’’ he said.

‘‘This is as a result of lockdown not permitting cancer diagnostic services to continue their essential work. It should have been ramped up like the supermarkets.’’

Lamb said the already stretched waiting lists for diagnostics would be further impeded by the thousands missed during the lockdown.

‘‘That is complete garbage,’’’ Lamb said.

‘‘This concept that we should catch up on just the April cases in three months is really quite ridiculous.

‘‘Let’s say in June the cancer diagnostic services are back to normal. We’ve got all the cases that would have come in during June, which is about roughly 2000 new cases each month, and we’ve got this thousand from April that we didn’t diagnose.

‘‘It’s bound to take a long time to clear that backlog of cases and a lot more cancer patients are going to die as a result of that.

‘‘What I’m saying is that my modelling says there are going to be wait times for cancer diagnosis that are going to be around for a number months.

‘‘And therefore, the number of deaths is going to be in the hundreds, not in the 10s. Or just a few.’’

Cancer Society Medical Director and oncologist Dr Chris Jackson said studies from the United Kingdom, suggested New Zealand had a three-month window to capture the 1031 people who were not diagnosed during lockdown or risk the deaths of 400 people.

The Cancer Control Agency of years rather than