Article content

Some breast cancer surgeries in Ottawa are being postponed for at least a month because of novel coronavirus, say anxious patients.

Patients began receiving phone calls from surgeons this week telling them the news. One patient said her surgeon told her she had to call 47 people in one evening.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Breast cancer surgeries in Ottawa postponed due to coronavirus Back to video

“She was very frustrated.”

The news has added a new layer of stress for patients who worry their cancer will progress before they undergo surgery and that they will be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

The 62-year-old patient who spoke to this newspaper on condition of confidentiality said she is very anxious that her cancer, which is currently at Stage 2, will progress to Stage 3 by the time she has surgery. Higher stages generally mean the cancer has spread further and is more difficult to treat. She was supposed to undergo a lumpectomy on April 1 and begin radiation treatment after that.

The decision comes as hospitals begin taking action to try to make room for an expected influx of COVID-19 patients by postponing elective and non-essential surgeries and treatments. The 62-year-old patient said she was told that all surgeons have been asked to postpone any surgery that can be done safely. That includes any cancer surgery that can be safely postponed.