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 include over 5,000 cancer survivors with annual follow-up, supporting a broad research agenda aimed at identifying major factors affecting cancer survivorship in African Americans. The inclusion of a cohort of caregivers allows for a more detailed evaluation of social support determinants of outcomes. To date, we have enrolled 3,633 African American cancer survivors and 781 caregivers who have completed a baseline survey. ROCS participants live in an area of the country being especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the ROCS survivors and caregivers carry one or more characteristics that put them at high risk of COVID-19 infection and poor outcomes once infected, including African American race, poverty, comorbid conditions, loss of income and exposures associated with work in essential services. The associated shelter-at-home order in Michigan adds substantial stress by reducing income and limiting social support. It has also altered cancer care in a numbers of circumstances, with some cancer providers delaying treatment and follow-up visits. In this supplement, we propose the following specific aims: 1) Administer a supplemental COVID-19 questionnaire to ROCS cancer survivors and their caregivers, and 2) Conduct preliminary analyses of anxiety and depression, financial hardship, barriers to care and quality of life among cancer survivors and their caregivers during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Detroit ROCS cohort is the largest African American cancer cohort, including caregivers, set in a large minority community, being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional survey will provide valuable information about the effects of COVID-19 on these important populations during this unprecedented time.
The ROCS cohort of cancer survivors and caregivers provides a unique opportunity to study the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on an underserved, minority population facing multiple challenges. The impact of this pandemic are substantial in our population and will likely increase racial disparities in cancer outcomes.
| Beebe-Dimmer, Jennifer L; Albrecht, Terrance L; Baird, Tara E et al. (2018) The Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) Pilot Study: A focus on outcomes after cancer in a racially-diverse patient population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev : |
