The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African American cancer survivors and their caregivers

PROJECT Summary: The Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort focuses on African American lung, breast, prostate,colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors, as well as survivors of any type of cancer diagnosed under age 50,and a subset of their caregivers. This population-based African American cancer cohort will ultimately includeover 5,000 cancer survivors with annual follow-up, supporting a broad research agenda aimed at identifyingmajor factors affecting cancer survivorship in African Americans. The inclusion of a cohort of caregivers allowsfor a more detailed evaluation of social support determinants of outcomes. To date, we have enrolled 3,633African American cancer survivors and 781 caregivers who have completed a baseline survey. ROCSparticipants live in an area of the country being especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the ROCSsurvivors and caregivers carry one or more characteristics that put them at high risk of COVID-19 infection andpoor outcomes once infected, including African American race, poverty, comorbid conditions, loss of income andexposures associated with work in essential services. The associated shelter-at-home order in Michigan addssubstantial stress by reducing income and limiting social support. It has also altered cancer care in a numbersof circumstances, with some cancer providers delaying treatment and follow-up visits. In this supplement, wepropose the following specific aims: 1) Administer a supplemental COVID-19 questionnaire to ROCS cancersurvivors and their caregivers, and 2) Conduct preliminary analyses of anxiety and depression, financialhardship, barriers to care and quality of life among cancer survivors and their caregivers during the COVID-19outbreak. The Detroit ROCS cohort is the largest African American cancer cohort, including caregivers, set in alarge minority community, being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional surveywill provide valuable information about the effects of COVID-19 on these important populations during thisunprecedented time.