Purposeful surgical delay and the coronavirus pandemic: how will black breast cancer patients fare?

Purpose The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed substantial racial and ethnic health and healthcare disparities. Black breast cancer patients face significant disparities in stage of presentation, surgical management, and mortality. The objective of this editorial is to examine the possible implications of the surgical delay imposed by the pandemic on black breast cancer patients. Methods The American College of Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons recommendations for surgical delay during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were evaluated and discussed. Results Guidelines by major surgical organizations on surgical delay for breast cancer patients may inadvertently exacerbate disparities in time to surgery for black breast cancer patients. Our recommendations to better characterize the impact of these guidelines on surgical delay among vulnerable populations include the following: (1) track time from biopsy-proven diagnosis to surgery by race and ethnicity, (2) document patient and institution-related reasons for surgical delay, (3) record patient and disease-related variables/reasons for the selection of breast conservation surgery, mastectomy, and reconstruction by race and ethnicity, and (4) collect data on impactful social determinants of health such as financial reserve, housing conditions, stress, and transportation. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate delays in time to surgery among black breast cancer patients. Surgeons should incorporate collection of social determinants of health into their clinical practice to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic disparities in surgical management.