Major advances in cancer research could be delayed by almost a year and a half due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has suggested.
Lockdowns, restrictions on laboratory capacity, barriers to scientists working together and a diversion of research funding to Covid-19 are among the factors which have hampered efforts, the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) said.
The survey, of 239 researchers, found that the ICR's own research advances would be pushed back by an average of six months.
It also found that when broader effects on charity funding and other factors were taken into account - major advances into cancer research could be delayed by an average of 17 months.
Those who took part in the survey said they had lost an average of 10 weeks of research time due to the first lockdown.
The majority also said that the virus had had an impact on their work with more than a third (36%) describing the effect as "substantial".
The biggest problem, according to 90% of respondents, was the closure of labs during the first lockdown and restrictions in access to facilities and equipment.
The average ICR researcher spent more than half of their working time in a lab before lockdown but this dropped to just 5% during the shutdown and has since recovered to around a third, the survey showed.
The biggest impacts had been the inability to enrol patients on clinical trials, to access clinical samples, or to interact in person with colleagues, the ICR said.
ICR's labs have stayed open during the second lockdown in England with "significant measures" taken to help prevent the risk of spreading the virus, it said.
The survey also showed that many researchers had used their time in lockdown to do training, or carried out desk-based research, with some carrying out Covid-19 work. Some have even studied what effects the virus has on cancer treatment pathways.
Revealing the emotional impact of the pandemic on researchers and their work, the survey showed that more than two thirds (69%) said it had left them frustrated, 39% had been saddened and a quarter felt depressed.
Negative effects of the outbreak on cancer research could be mitigated through extra funding from charitable donations or Government support, scientists said, with the ICR calling for investment in staffing, new technology such as robotics, and computing power.
Professor Paul Workman, ICR chief executive, said: "It is sobering to see that our researchers are estimating that their own research advances will be delayed by six months - and that the wider impact, because of the interconnectedness of science, is likely to push back major advances for patients by nearly a year and a half.
"Our survey though does provide solutions to mitigate the impact - in the form of investment in staffing, new technologies and computing power.
"For that, we need more of the generous donations we have been receiving to our emergency appeal, along with a commitment from the Government to help fill the funding gap for the life sciences left by the pandemic."
Dr Sebastian Guettler, deputy head of structural biology at the ICR, said: "The coronavirus has also reduced or stopped the spontaneous interactions with colleagues that science is so dependent on for generating new ideas.
"Video conferencing has helped us stay connected as a lab and a community, but it's not a true replacement for those light-bulb moments you might get from chatting with someone at a conference or over coffee in the canteen."
The ICR has launched a major fundraising appeal to help kickstart its research and make up for lost time at icr.ac.uk/kickstarticr.
