Breast Cancer Disparities Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose of Review The emergency medicine and critical care needs of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden and dramatic disruption of cancer screening and treatment programs in the USA during the winter and spring of 2020. This review commentary addresses the impact of the pandemic on racial/ethnic minorities such as African Americans and Hispanic-Latina Americans, with a focus on factors related to breast cancer. Recent Findings African Americans and Hispanic-Latina Americans experienced disproportionately higher morbidity and mortality from COVID-19; many of the same socioeconomic and tumor biology/genetic factors that explain breast cancer disparities are likely to account for COVID-19 outcome disparities. Summary The breast cancer clinical and research community should partner with public health experts to ensure participation of diverse patients in COVID-19 treatment trials and vaccine programs and to overcome COVID-19-related breast health management delays that are likely to have been magnified among African Americans and Hispanic-Latina Americans.

Breast Cancer Disparities and the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Like breast cancer, age-adjusted mortality and hospitalization rates for COVID-19 demonstrate that Black patients are more than three times as likely to be hospitalized and more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19 compared to their White counterparts [ 10 ]. This disparity has multiple driving factors, including differences in comorbidities, types of jobs held by minorities and the inability to work remotely, living conditions with multiple generations living in one household, and reduced access to healthcare [ 11 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic has been projected to result in 10,000 additional cancer deaths because of decreased access to screening [ 12 ].…”

Barriers to breast cancer screening are worsened amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A review

“…The COVID-19 pandemic is centered in metropolitan regions, and racial and ethnic minorities are more highly concentrated in urban areas in the United States. 12 Public hospitals in urban pandemic epicenters serve as healthcare safety nets for medically underserved communities. 12 The economic costs of treating COVID-19 related illnesses have disproportionately harmed safety net healthcare facilities where cancer care is provided to a greater number of racial/ethnic minority patients.…”

“… 12 Public hospitals in urban pandemic epicenters serve as healthcare safety nets for medically underserved communities. 12 The economic costs of treating COVID-19 related illnesses have disproportionately harmed safety net healthcare facilities where cancer care is provided to a greater number of racial/ethnic minority patients. 12 …”

“… 12 The economic costs of treating COVID-19 related illnesses have disproportionately harmed safety net healthcare facilities where cancer care is provided to a greater number of racial/ethnic minority patients. 12 …”

“… 23 During the pandemic, the focus was shifted to ensure accrual of diverse patients onto COVID-19-related clinical trials and participation in vaccine programs; while certainly beneficial to society, there was a diminished focus on education for patients on genetic testing or a breast MRI which contributes to their disproportionate mortality burden. 24 …”