Doctors have raised the alarm about a 'substantial reduction' in children's cancer diagnoses during the first wave of the pandemic.
Analysis by Oxford University researchers looked at the number of cancer cases detected in under-25s in England between February and August last year, compared to the same period over the previous three.
They said there was a 17 per cent drop overall, which would suggest 80 fewer cases were detected.
Brain or central nervous system cancer diagnoses declined 38 per cent, and blood cancer diagnoses fell 28 per cent.
Charities warned cancer survival rates could 'go backwards' because of the backlog of patients needing care.
Britons were told to 'stay home' to protect the NHS in the first wave, which resulted in millions fewer patients coming forward for a host of appointments, scans and tests.
The above graph shows the percentage drop in cancer diagnoses in children during the first wave, compared to the same period over the previous three years
An abstract from study is to be presented at the London-based National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) festival, the largest cancer conference in the UK.
Some 380 cancer cases were diagnosed in under-25s over the six-and-a-half month period studied last year.
This would suggest that over the same period three years ago 460 cases were detected.
Children diagnosed during the pandemic were significantly more likely to need intensive care (ICU) support prior to their diagnosis, the researchers found, suggesting they were sicker by the time they were diagnosed.
Scientists say cancers appear at a constant rate, meaning any significant reduction in detections suggests some cases are being missed.
Symptoms of the condition in children include being unable to urinate, having blood in the urine, an
