COVID-19 Impact on Breast Cancer

The COVID-19 Pandemic Breast Cancer Consortium prioritized breast imaging, classifying mammographic breast cancer screening for patients at average risk as a low-priority examination that could be postponed until the post-pandemic period.  Diagnostic imaging for suspicious symptoms or abnormal mammograms was a higher priority, albeit not urgent. Most practices returned to standard breast cancer imaging recommendations in the summer of 2020. The long-term consequences of pandemic disruptions are unknown, but they are of great interest due to their potential long-term implications for patient prognosis and mortality.