Risk factors for heightened COVID‐19‐Related anxiety among breast cancer patients

Abstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted medical care, increased isolation, and exacerbated anxiety in breast cancer patients. Since March 2020, Breastcancer.org experienced a sustained surge in requested pandemic‐related information and support. To characterize the pandemic‐related experiences of breast cancer patients, we surveyed the Breastcancer.org Community early in the COVID‐19 era. Methods Breastcancer.org Community members were invited to complete an online questionnaire regarding their experience during the pandemic. Self‐reported data on demographics, comorbidities, care disruptions, anxiety, coping ability, telemedicine use, and satisfaction with care were collected. Results were analyzed using Stata 16.0 (Stata Corp., Inc). Results Included were 568 current and previous breast cancer patients, primarily with U.S. residence. Overall, 43.8% reported at least one comorbidity associated with severe COVID‐19 illness and 61.9% experienced care delays. Moderate to extreme anxiety about contracting COVID‐19 was reported by 36.5%, increasing with number of comorbidities (33.0% vs. 55.4%, p = 0.021), current breast cancer diagnosis (30.4% vs. 42.5%, p = 0.011), and poorer coping ability (15.5% vs. 53.9%, p