Scientific American: Oncologists wrestle with COVID-19 pandemic's effect on cancer
UC expert details how pause in lung cancer screening affected patient outcomes
As we near the two-year mark of when the COVID-19 pandemic caused shutdowns and canceled many elective procedures, oncologists across the country continue to examine how this pause in cancer screenings is affecting patients.
Robert Van Haren, MD, said after the lung cancer screening program at UC was closed for about three months in early 2020, doctors found many more suspicious nodules on the lungs compared to usual once screening resumed.
"Even small changes in the size of a lung cancer can be important for overall survival,” Van Haren, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery in UC’s College of Medicine, a UC Health thoracic surgeon and University of Cincinnati Cancer Center member, told Scientific American. “That’s the reason we’re concerned about any delays or stoppages.”
Read the Scientific American article.
Featured photo of Robert Van Haren, MD. Photo/Colleen Kelley/University of Cincinnati.
Related Stories
‘Designer drug’ shows early neuroprotective signal in acute ischemic stroke
October 28, 2025
Medscape highlighted new trial results led by the University of Cincinnati's Eva Mistry that found an experimental drug shows promise in protecting injured brain cells for patients with acute ischemic stroke.
UC Board votes to fund design for YMCA renovation
October 28, 2025
At its October 28, 2025 meeting, the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees approved $5 million in funding to complete all design and pre-construction services required to renovate the interior of a former YMCA building located at 270 Calhoun Street.
Is menstrual fluid ‘the most overlooked opportunity’ in women’s health?
October 27, 2025
The Guardian recently reported that period blood has long been thought of as ‘stinky and useless’, but startups are exploring using the fluid to test for a wide range of health conditions — including endometriosis.