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 .
Randomized Trial Comparing Telephone Versus In-Person Weight Loss Counseling on Body Composition and Circulating Biomarkers in Women Treated for Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition (LEAN) Study.
PURPOSE Obesity is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer mortality . The gold st and ard approach to weight loss is in-person counseling , but telephone counseling may be more feasible . We examined the effect of in-person versus telephone weight loss counseling versus usual care on 6-month changes in body composition , physical activity , diet , and serum biomarkers . METHODS One hundred breast cancer survivors with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2 ) were r and omly assigned to in-person counseling  ( n = 33 ) , telephone counseling ( n = 34 ) , or usual care ( UC ) ( n = 33 ) . In-person and telephone counseling included 11 30-minute counseling sessions over 6 months . These focused on reducing caloric intake , increasing physical activity , and behavioral therapy . Body composition , physical activity , diet , and serum biomarkers were measured at baseline and 6 months . RESULTS The mean age of participants was 59 ± 7.5 years old , with a mean BMI of 33.1 ± 6.6 kg/m(2 ) , and the mean time from diagnosis was 2.9 ± 2.1 years . Fifty-one percent of the participants had stage I breast cancer . Average 6-month weight loss was 6.4 % , 5.4 % , and 2.0 % for in-person , telephone , and UC groups , respectively ( P = .004 , P = .009 , and P = .46 comparing in-person with UC , telephone with UC , and in-person with telephone , respectively ) . A significant 30 % decrease in C-reactive protein levels was observed among women r and omly assigned to the combined weight loss intervention groups compared with a 1 % decrease among women r and omly assigned to UC ( P = .05 ) . CONCLUSION Both in-person and telephone counseling were effective weight loss strategies , with favorable effects on C-reactive protein levels . Our findings may help guide the incorporation of weight loss counseling into breast cancer treatment and care
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 .