Colorectal Cancer and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on its Diagnosis in Brazil

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Among women, it is the second most prevalent type of cancer. Guidelines recommend CRC screening starting at the age of 50 years, with colonoscopy being the gold-standard test due to its sensitivity in detecting cancer and precancerous lesions. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a reduction in screening due to the closure of services and/or public fear of contracting the virus. Screening for CRC in women involves anatomical and psychosocial challenges, which were further exacerbated during the pandemic. To quantitatively determine the number of colonoscopies performed on women and to assess the number of CRC cases diagnosed in women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conduicted an analytical, retrospective study based on data from the Brazilian Unified Health System's (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS, in Portuguese) Information and Computer Sciences Department (Departamento de Informação e Informática do SUS, DATASUS, in Portuguese) regarding the number of colonoscopies and CRC diagnoses in women from 2018 to 2023 in Brazil. Data were analyzed using the Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp.) software and expressed in terms of absolute and relative frequencies. In 2020, there was a 32.3% reduction in the number of colonoscopies performed compared to 2019, followed by an increase in subsequent years. The number of CRC diagnoses in women rose between 2018 and 2023, with a 0.7% increase in 2020. During the pandemic, the number of colonoscopies performed in women and the general population decreased, accompanied by a slight increase in CRC diagnoses.