Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42829437›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2026

Impact of and recovery after Covid-19 on breast cancer diagnosis and care in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Rebaone Petlele, Raylton Prosper Chikwati, Olaide Olawumi Ojoniyi, Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe, Wenlong Carl Chen, Nivashini Murugan, Phumudzo Ndwambi, Linda Kumirayi, Furhana Jassat, Sarah Nietz and 6 more

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Rebaone PetleleSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Raylton Prosper ChikwatiSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Olaide Olawumi OjoniyiSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Monica Ewomazino AkokuwebeSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Wenlong Carl ChenSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Nivashini MuruganDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Phumudzo NdwambiDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Linda KumirayiDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Furhana JassatDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sarah NietzDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Rofhiwa Margaret MathibaDivision of Medical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Karisma SinghDivision of Medical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Phyllis Ohene-AgyeiEnvironment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Valerie McCormackEnvironment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Shane Anthony NorrisSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Maureen JoffeSAMRC/Wits Ageing African Adult Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. mjoffeabc@gmail.com.

Funding

Novel predictors of survival among breast cancer patients with/without HIV in South AfricaR01CA250012 · NCI · WITS HEALTH CONSORTIUM (PTY), LTD · PI CUBASCH, HERBERT, EL-SADR, WAFAA M. · 2020 to 2024
$2.0M
DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, the NIH/NCI grants NIH/R01-CA19262701 and R01-CA250012NCI NIH HHS R01 CA250012Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 negatively impacted cancer diagnostic and treatment services worldwide. These challenges were further compounded in low- and middle-income countries, where longstanding resource constraints limited the capacity to maintain standard treatment pathways. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on (i) stage at diagnosis and time intervals from symptom recognition to a pathological confirmed breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and (ii) treatment initiation at two academic hospitals in Johannesburg; Chris Hani Baragwaneth Academic Hospital (Site 1) and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (Site 2).

methodsWe compared the proportion of BC cases diagnosed at a late stage (stage III/IV) and median time intervals of pre-contact (T

resultsLate-stage BC diagnoses increased during COVID-19 but subsequently recovered, with pre-, during-; and post-COVID-19 percentages, respectively, of 50%, 60% and 53% at Site 1 and 63%, 69% and 55% at Site 2. Compared to pre-COVID-19, at Site 1 the T

conclusionsThe already high prevalence of late-stage at diagnosis increased further during the COVID-19 pandemic with evidence of recovery at both sites in the post COVID-19 period. Treatment initiation delays increased and surgery volumes decreased during the pandemic and did not recover to pre-pandemic levels. Our study shows current cancer human and facility resources are insufficient to manage the steadily increasing BC burden in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCOVID-19AdultAgedDelayed DiagnosisFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPandemicsSouth AfricaTime-to-TreatmentTreatment DelayBreast cancerCOVID-19DelaysDiagnostic journeySouth AfricaTreatment journey

Identifiers

PMID42829437
PMCPMC13634214

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.