Abstract PO-121: COVID-19, cancer, and racial health disparities

Despite efforts to reduce the unequal impacts felt by minorities, generations of systemic disadvantage and inequality in healthcare and cancer care for communities of color have become amplified and made more urgent during the coronavirus crisis. Understanding the risks, intersection, and additive effect of COVID-19 in minority individuals with cancer is crucial. Ethnic and racial disparities are pervasive in our health care system and the intersection of COVID-19 with existing racial and ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes may lead to greater morbidity and mortality in existing at-risk groups. Unequal use of healthcare and unequal treatment in the healthcare environment are a few of the factors that contribute to health disparities specifically for African Americans and Latinx Americans. Although many geographic regions have experienced differential impacts from COVID-19, there are stark disparities for several populations that have received little attention. One of the most alarming disparity trends is the high incidence of infection and the elevated mortality rate among ethnic/racial minorities (e.g., African Americans) compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Reports of disparities in testing, access to care and poor triage practices and decisions result in minority individuals being sent home because their symptoms are not severe; such cases have extended beyond ethnic/racial minority populations but appear to be more fatal in minority communities who already face significant barriers to adequate care. Adding to this detriment, many ethnic/racial minorities have existing chronic conditions superimposed on COVID-19, which leads to progressive worsening of health and eventual death from the coronavirus. In this study, authors explored the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic with cancer and health disparities in racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly African Americans. Using extant literature and contemporaneous data, they point out how overlooking the intersections of this triad could lead to the exacerbation of existing disparities for cancer patients based on race and ethnicity. They suggest best practices to balance cancer treatment and survivorship with increasing the potential COVID-19 exposures for patients, families, and health care workers. Drawing upon their analysis, the authors offer a list of recommendations and strategies for system level responses that are designed to foster practice and policy for cancer care health care equity and relate to cancer care equity, infection prevention and control, cancer pain management, and cancer palliative care that may reduce disparities among African Americans. Citation Format: Linda S. Behar-Horenstein, Keesha Powell-Roach, Staja Q. Booker, Michael U. Maduka, Destiny Gordon, Kayanna Jacobs, Debra Lyon. COVID-19, cancer, and racial health disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-121.