Pan-Canadian survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cervical cancer screening and management: cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals.

Cervical cancer is a common cancer among women caused by infections with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Nearly four in five people are infected with HPV during their lifetime, making it the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Vaccination against the virus can prevent infections and routine screening for precancerous lesions can enable early diagnosis and treatment, improving outcomes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine cervical cancer screening programs in several countries. This has caused delays in screening, which could result in more women being diagnosed with advanced-stage cancers. El-Zein et al. showed that despite the interrupted screening programmes, about half of practices in Canada were able to catch up on delayed screening by February 2021. Between November 2020 and February 2021, El-Zein et al. surveyed 510 Canadian healthcare professionals involved in cervical cancer screening and treatment. About 64%-75% of the respondents reported canceled or postponed screening appointments. Most appointment delays were less than four months. Fewer than one in ten delays were longer than six months. Most survey respondents said their practices pivoted to using telemedicine for some patient visits, such as cervical cancer screening follow-ups. About 40% of respondents suggested that the pandemic provided support to alternative screening options, such as HPV self-sampling at home. The survey results may help healthcare professionals and policymakers to develop plans that mitigate disruptions to cervical cancer screening during future emergencies.