Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Cachexia Diagnosis and Treatment Access
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the cancer cachexia market, disrupting both diagnosis and treatment access. Lockdowns, hospital resource reallocation, and patient fears about infection led to delays in cancer screenings, resulting in more late-stage diagnoses where cachexia prevalence is higher.
Treatment access was also hindered as oncology visits were postponed or shifted to virtual platforms. While telemedicine proved effective for consultations, physical assessments such as body weight and muscle mass measurements were more challenging to conduct remotely. This reduced the ability to detect and monitor cachexia in its early stages.
Furthermore, supply chain disruptions affected the availability of certain medications and nutritional supplements, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Rehabilitation services and physiotherapy sessions were also interrupted, impacting multimodal care plans.
On the positive side, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital health tools and home-based care strategies, which may offer long-term benefits for cachexia management. Moving forward, healthcare systems are focusing on resilience planning to ensure that critical supportive care, including cachexia management, remains accessible during future public health crises.