Differences in Emotional Distress Among Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors During the Covid-19 Pandemic: a National Survey

The Covid-19 pandemic is straining US healthcare resources, causing significant disruptions in cancer care. Prior to the pandemic, Black cancer survivors experienced a disproportionate burden of delays in cancer treatment compared to White cancer survivors. As a result of the pandemic, disruptions in care are widespread and affect cancer survivors regardless of race. This shift presented an opportunity to investigate differences in how Black and White cancer survivors experience disruptions in cancer care due to the pandemic. We conducted a national survey of adult breast cancer survivors, distributed online from 4/2/20 to 4/27/20. We used t-tests to compare cancer and non-cancer-related worry during the Covid-19 pandemic between Black and White breast cancer survivors. Analysis of data from 570 respondents (106 Black and 464 White) indicated significantly higher levels of distress among White respondents compared to Black respondents. Our results point to the importance of assessing race differences in emotional response to disruptions in cancer care during the pandemic. We suggest that differences in emotional distress may reflect differences in previous experience of treatment delays and coping strategies between Black and White breast cancer survivors.