NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — Studies have shown that during the pandemic cancer screenings have been postponed or delayed while many hospitals and clinics focused on tackling COVID-19.
The study by the Epic Health Research Network shows there has been a significant drop in cancer screenings since the COVID-19 outbreak. It says appointments for screenings for cancers of the cervix, colon, and breast were down in March between 86% and 94%.
TheNational Cancer Institutepredicts there could be an additional 10,000 deaths in the United States from colon and breast cancers alone over the next 10 years because of the pandemic.
NewsChannel 5's photojournalist Angie Dones is typically telling stories behind the camera, but in light of the recent studies, she chose to step in front of the lens.
"It was back in 2017, at the age of 31, I noticed a small pea size lump in my right breast," said Dones.
Dones decided to tell her story hoping that it might help save someone else's life.
"Because I was so young and naive I postponed the mammogram for about seven months."
Being so young, Dones says she had a hard time believing she had cancer but when she noticed the lump in her breast growing she said it was time to take action.
"I'm glad I did because it that short amount of time the tumor grew very rapidly, it was a very aggressive cancer," she said.
"Had I not scheduled my mammogram and gotten the results in a timely manner that I did, I honestly don't know if I still would be here right now."
Dones encouraged others to stay proactive and not to allow fear to come in between you and your faith.
