Screening for cancer is a proven and recommended approach to prevent deaths from cancer; screening can locate precursor lesions and/or cancer at early stages when it is potentially curable. Racial and ethnic minorities and other medically underserved populations exhibit lower uptake of cancer screening than nonminorities in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected minority communities, has curtailed preventive services including cancer screening to preserve personal protective equipment and prevent spread of infection. While there is evidence for a rebound from the pandemic-driven reduction in cancer screening nationally, the return may not be even across all populations, with minority population screening that was already behind becoming further behind as a result of the community ravages from COVID-19. Fear of contracting COVID-19, limited access to safety-net clinics, and personal factors like, financial, employment, and transportation issues are concerns that are intensified in medically underserved communities. Prolonged delays in cancer screening will increase cancer in the overall population from pre-COVID-19 trajectories, and elevate the cancer disparity in minority populations. Knowing the overall benefit of cancer screening versus the risk of acquiring COVID-19, utilizing at-home screening tests and keeping the COVID-19–induced delay in screening to a minimum might slow the growth of disparity.

中文翻译：

---

COVID-19 时代癌症预防的差异

癌症筛查是一种经过验证和推荐的预防癌症死亡的方法；筛查可以在可能治愈的早期阶段定位前体病变和/或癌症。在美国，种族和少数民族以及其他医疗服务不足的人群对癌症筛查的接受程度低于非少数民族。COVID-19 大流行对少数族裔社区造成了不成比例的影响，减少了包括癌症筛查在内的预防服务，以保护个人防护设备并防止感染传播。虽然有证据表明全国范围内因大流行导致的癌症筛查减少而有所反弹，但这种回归可能并非针对所有人群，由于社区受到 COVID-19 的破坏，本已落后的少数人群筛查变得更加落后. 对感染 COVID-19 的恐惧、对安全网诊所的限制以及个人因素（如财务、就业和交通问题）是医疗服务不足的社区加剧的担忧。癌症筛查的长期延迟将使整体人群中的癌症从 COVID-19 之前的轨迹增加，并扩大少数人群中的癌症差异。了解癌症筛查的总体益处与感染 COVID-19 的风险，利用家庭筛查测试并将 COVID-19 引起的筛查延迟保持在最低限度，可能会减缓差异的扩大。癌症筛查的长期延迟将使整体人群中的癌症从 COVID-19 之前的轨迹增加，并扩大少数人群中的癌症差异。了解癌症筛查的总体益处与感染 COVID-19 的风险，利用家庭筛查测试并将 COVID-19 引起的筛查延迟保持在最低限度，可能会减缓差异的扩大。癌症筛查的长期延迟将使整体人群中的癌症从 COVID-19 之前的轨迹增加，并扩大少数人群中的癌症差异。了解癌症筛查的总体益处与感染 COVID-19 的风险，利用家庭筛查测试并将 COVID-19 引起的筛查延迟保持在最低限度，可能会减缓差异的扩大。