‘It’s scary to think it could be growing all that time’: 79-year-old cancer patient has treatment delayed for months due to coronavirus

Judy Halter is confined in her home in Michigan

An 79-year-old cancer patient has told how she he has been forced to miss her treatment because of the coronavirus pandemic, has spoken of her fear and anxiety as she waits by herself.

Amid growing evidence that full toll from coronavirus is likely to considerably larger then currently measured because of its impact of people suffering from other serious conditions, Judy Halter revealed how she was due to undergo a PET scan after she was struck by cancer for the fourth time.

But after health officials across the country cancelled non-essential treatment, Ms Halter, has found herself stuck at home in West Land, Michigan.

Her appointment has been put back until August and she is unable to socialise with her family or anyone because of her compromised immunity and social distancing guidelines

“This is the fourth time I’ve dealt with with this sort of thing,” she said by phone. “I’ve had breast cancer twice and also bladder cancer.”

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Earlier this year, doctors found a spot on her lung that looked suspicious. They had scheduled a PET or positron emission tomography scan, to help determine if it was cancerous. However that will now not take place before August.

‘So it’s pretty scary – to think of the fact that it could be growing all this time,” she said.

“I had radiation treatment. And then I was supposed to go for a PET scan because they thought they saw more than one spot. Because I’m compromised and confined to my apartment until August. Which is quite a long time, it’s, it’s a it’s a worry, it’s a big worry.”

The plight of Ms Halter, who has two children and who spent much of her live in Tennessee, is not alone in her plight. The Independent has revealed how experts believe the true toll of the pandemic could perhaps reach twice the current total of 75,000 deaths, because of people suffering from conditions such as cancer or heart failure and are unable or too scared to get treatment.

A survey by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network found around half of all cancer patients who had recently undergone treatment, had found the virus had impacted their care. Of those, 25 per cent reported a delay or hold-up.

“The health effects of this pandemic stretch well beyond those diagnosed and suffering from Covid-19, and are having an acute and adverse impact on cancer patients, many of whom can’t afford treatment delays,” said the network’s president, Lisa Lacasse.

“Cancer patients are dealing with understandable, but in many cases, unsustainable delays in their care. This data shows the need for quick action in bolstering our health care system so we can both care for those diagnosed with the virus and for those facing a cancer diagnosis.”

Ms Halter said she had not complaints about her doctors.

“They’ve been wonderful and they have called me and said, I’m confined to my apartment until August. Now, I don’t know if that could be changed or not. I imagine if things get much better, it could be changed, but right now I’m worried,” she said.

“In the meantime, this cancer could possibly be growing. I’m going to be 80 next month. I’m feel fortunate to have lived this long, but I’ve kind of got used to that. So I’d like to be around a bit longer.”