Conclusions : The available literature suggests that African American breast cancer survivors adhere to interventions of various modalities and are capable of making modest to significant changes .
Background : African American breast cancer survivors have a higher incidence of estrogen receptor negative and basal-like ( e.g. , triple negative ) tumors , placing them at greater risk for poorer survival when compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups .
While access to equitable care , late disease stage at diagnosis , tumor biology , and sociodemographic characteristics contribute to health disparities , poor lifestyle characteristics ( i.e. , inactivity , obesity , and poor diet ) contribute equally to these disparities .
Lifestyle interventions hold promise in shielding African American survivors from second cancers , comorbidities , and premature mortality , but they are often underrepresented in studies promoting positive behaviors .
This review examined the available literature to document health behaviors and lifestyle intervention ( i.e. , obesity , physical activity , and sedentary behavior ) studies in African American breast cancer survivors .
Lifestyle and breast cancer recurrences: the DIANA-5 trial.
AIMS AND BACKGROUND The DIANA ( Diet and And rogens)-5 study is a multi-institutional r and omized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a diet based on Mediterranean and macrobiotic recipes and principles , associated with moderate physical activity , in reducing additional breast cancer events in women with early stage invasive breast cancer at high risk of recurrence because of metabolic or endocrine milieu . The intervention is expected to reduce serum insulin and sex hormones , which were associated with breast prognosis in previous studies . METHODS Between 2008 and 2010 , the study r and omly assigned 1208 patients to an intensive diet and exercise intervention or to a comparison group , to be followed-up through 2015 . General lifestyle recommendations for the prevention of cancer are given to both groups , and the intervention group is being offered a comprehensive lifestyle intervention , including cooking classes , conferences , common meals and exercise sessions . Adherence assessment s occurred at baseline and at 12 months and are planned at 36 and 60 months . They include food frequency diaries , anthropometric measures , body fat distribution assessed with impedance scale , one week registration of physical activity with a multisensor arm-b and monitor , metabolic and endocrine blood parameters . Outcome breast cancer events are assessed through self report at semi annual meetings or telephone interview and are vali date d through medical record verification . RESULTS The r and omized groups were comparable for age ( 51.8 years ) , proportion of ER-negative tumors ( 22 % ) , axillary node metastasis ( 42 % ) , reproductive variables , tobacco smoking , blood pressure , anthropometric measurements and hormonal and metabolic parameters . CONCLUSIONS DIANA-5 has the potential to establish whether a Mediterranean-macrobiotic lifestyle may reduce breast cancer recurrences . We will assess evidence of effectiveness , first by comparing the incidence of additional breast cancer events ( local or distant recurrence , second ipsilateral or contralateral cancer ) in the intervention and in the control group , by an intention-to-treat analysis , and second by analyzing the incidence of breast cancer events in the total study population by compliance assessment score
Conclusions : The available literature suggests that African American breast cancer survivors adhere to interventions of various modalities and are capable of making modest to significant changes .
Background : African American breast cancer survivors have a higher incidence of estrogen receptor negative and basal-like ( e.g. , triple negative ) tumors , placing them at greater risk for poorer survival when compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups .
While access to equitable care , late disease stage at diagnosis , tumor biology , and sociodemographic characteristics contribute to health disparities , poor lifestyle characteristics ( i.e. , inactivity , obesity , and poor diet ) contribute equally to these disparities .
Lifestyle interventions hold promise in shielding African American survivors from second cancers , comorbidities , and premature mortality , but they are often underrepresented in studies promoting positive behaviors .
This review examined the available literature to document health behaviors and lifestyle intervention ( i.e. , obesity , physical activity , and sedentary behavior ) studies in African American breast cancer survivors .