The authors selected pancreatic cancer because it progresses quickly and has lower survival. Between March and May of 2020, cancer registries recorded far fewer cases than expected. New cases of pancreatic cancer fell by about 20% in April 2020. While the rate of new cancer diagnoses hovered around predicted levels in the second half of 2020, it did not completely make up for the drop seen between March and May.

Observed/Expected Ratio of Pancreatic cancer diagnoses by Month of Diagnosis, 2020. Between March and May of 2020, cancer registries recorded far fewer cases than expected. New cases of pancreatic cancer fell by about 20% in April 2020. While the rate of new cancer diagnoses hovered around predicted levels in the second half of 2020, it did not completely make up for the drop seen between March and May.