JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a decrease in cancer screening due to redeployment of healthcare resources and public avoidance of healthcare facilities. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, with good survival rates with early detection. An avoidance of screening and hence late detection hence greatly affects survival and increases healthcare resource burden and costs.

Objective:

To evaluate if there is a sustained decrease in public interest in screening, and to evaluate other search terms, and hence interest, associated with that.

Methods:

We used Google Trends data to assess public interest in breast cancer screening and related topics immediately preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relative search volume for mammogram and breast cancer related symptoms was retrieved using the Google Trends database from 2019 to 2022, and information on related queries retrieved.

Results:

There was an initial drastic dip in the search for “mammogram”, with subsequent recovery of interest by July 2020. However, relative search frequencies of perceived Breast Cancer related symptoms such as Breast Lump, Nipple Discharge and Breast Pain remained stable. In addition, there was increase public interest in natural and alternative therapy of breast lumps despite recovery of interest in mammography and breast biopsy.

Conclusions:

Online search interest in breast cancer screening experienced a sharp decline at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic—a subsequent return to baseline interest in arranging mammography followed this short period of decreased interest.