Abstract A84: Perceived Social Support Moderates the Associations between Race-Based Medical Suspicion and Perceptions of Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Abstract Background: Decades of research have demonstrated the salutary effects of higher perceived social support on thoughts and feelings about one's health. Separate work has shown that Black patients with higher race-based medical suspicion have more negative perceptions of their healthcare. Prior studies have not systematically investigated the extent to which perceived social support is related to medical suspicion in Black cancer populations. Purpose: We specifically explored whether larger social network size and higher social support satisfaction moderated negative perceptions and feelings typically experienced by Black patients scoring high on suspicion. Methods: 114 Black cancer patients reported their social support and suspicion at a baseline session. One week later, they interacted with their oncologist about initial treatment options during a clinic visit. Following the interaction, patients reported their uncertainty regarding the recommended treatment, perceived difficulty completing treatment, and distress. Results: Moderation results showed that larger social network size was related to less uncertainty and less perceived difficulty completing treatment for Black patients low in suspicion. However, larger social network size failed to reduce uncertainty and perceived difficulty and exacerbated distress for Black patients high in suspicion. Social support satisfaction moderated only the relation between medical suspicion and perceived difficulty. Conclusions: Social support is associated with distinct cancer treatment perceptions for Black cancer patients as a function of patients' suspicion, which may be explained by entrenchment in a social network that reinforces negative personal biases. Citation Format: Sarah C. E. Stanton, Louis A. Penner, Susan Eggly, Felicity W. K. Harper, Lauren M. Hamel, Tanina Foster, Michael S. Simon, Ellen Barton, Robert A. Chapman, Terrance L. Albrecht. Perceived Social Support Moderates the Associations between Race-Based Medical Suspicion and Perceptions of Cancer Treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A84.