Impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment: Results from 18 hospital-based cancer registries in Tochigi prefecture

Objectives To show the impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment in Tochigi prefecture.Methods The number of cancer cases registered in Tochigi prefecture before (2019) and after (2020) COVID-19 was compared using cancer registry data from 18 member hospitals of the Tochigi Prefecture Cancer Care Collaboration Council. Data were compared by sex, age, patient's address at the time of diagnosis, month of diagnosis, cancer site, cancer stage, and treatment. Data on screenings for stomach, colorectum, lung, female breast, cervix, and prostate cancers were investigated in detail.Results The total number of registered cancer cases was 19,748 in 2019 and 18,912 in 2020 (a decrease of 836 cases [−4.2%]). Among the total cases, there were 11,223 and 10,511 males in 2019 and 2020, respectively (a decrease of 712 cases [−6.3%]) and 8,525 and 8,401 females in 2019 and 2020, respectively (a decrease of 124 cases [−1.5%]). The decrease was greater among males than among females. There was no decrease in the number of registered patients aged