The research, by healthcare analysts Dr Foster, shows that during April and May, the height of the first coronavirus wave in the UK, there was a sharp drop in admissions relating to a number of diseases.
The number of admissions for bowel cancer, which is the UK's second biggest cancer killer, dropped by 39 per cent. Normally, 13,488 cases would have been expected, but there were 8,185 cases.
Admissions for prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer in men, also dropped sharply.
Around 12,850 cases would have been expected, based on a five year average. But the figure dropped by 64 per cent, to 4,640.
Admissions for breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in women , also dropped by a third.
The largest drop was in gastrointestinal disorders admissions, which were down 90 per cent.
The drop took place while the government's initial 'Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives' was in place.