Blockchain: A safe digital technology to share cancer diagnostic results in pandemic times—Challenges and legacy for the future

Abstract

Dear editor, The COVID-19 pandemic directly impacted oral pathology services worldwide, including delays in the diagnosis of several alterations, in special, malignant neoplasms. 1,2 Consequently, late diagnosis of these diseases may provoke a worsening of patients' clinical condition, including an increase in the potential risk of metastasis, a larger tumour size (T), and a lower survival rate. 3,4 In Brazil, during the first wave of COVID-19, a reduction of 63.8% was observed in the diagnosis of potentially malignant disorders and tumours when compared to the previous period, with malignant lesions and oral cancer showing a decrease of 49.48% and 50.64%, respectively. 1 For this reason, the present letter aims to demonstrate that Blockchain, a digital data-sharing technology, can culminate in the exchange of and access to cancer diagnostic results among different oral medicine services in pandemic times.Blockchain is a revolutionary technology that was introduced by the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, and, conceptually, it has been described as a tool capable of sharing information contained in a database, thus facilitating its distribution and access by several computers. 5,6 Organizationally, the blockchain network is interconnected and cooperates as a data storage and processing system in a secure, shared, and decentralised mode. 7 Due to these characteristics, it is described as a promising technology in the medical field once it enables convenient and easy data privacy as well as storage and management. 8,9 At the operational level, the data security provided by the blockchain system is based on cryptography through blocks. 6 The core of this technology is the linkage among previous and subsequent blocks, forming a continuous network, through a method called hashing. 10 To secure the validity of the system, the cryptography analyses all changes to the algorithms/records sequenced, which allows blockchain technology to detect any attempt to break the sequence. 7 Thus, every time the patient's record is accessed and changed, it is necessary to validate all computers on the network. Due to its accessibility, safety in storing information, and facility in the distribution of data, it is estimated that this technology will exceed USD 3.49 billion by 2026 (https://www.mordo rinte llige nce.com/indus try-repor ts/block chain -marke tinhea lthcare).