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 .
The German SUCCESS C Study – The First European Lifestyle Study on Breast Cancer
Cohort trials have shown evidence that obesity and a low level of physical activity are not only associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer , but also with an increased risk for recurrence and reduced survival in breast cancer patients . The SUCCESS C study is the first European trial to evaluate the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention program on disease-free survival in women with early breast cancer and to examine the predictive value of selected biomarker c and i date s. A total of 3,547 women with early-stage , Her2/neu-negative breast cancer will be included . The first r and omization will compare disease-free survival in patients treated with either 3 cycles of FEC ( epirubicine , fluorouracil , cyclophosphamide ) , followed by 3 cycles of docetaxel or 6 cycles of docetaxel-cyclophosphamide , and thus assess the role of anthracycline-free chemotherapy . The second r and omization compares disease-free survival in patients with a body mass index of 24–40 kg/m2 receiving either a telephone-based individualized lifestyle intervention program aim ing at moderate weight loss or general recommendations for a healthy lifestyle alone . In addition , the study will evaluate the predictive role of cancer-associated and obesity-related biomarkers for the prediction of disease recurrence and survival . This SUCCESS C trial will provide valuable information on the effects of a lifestyle intervention program on the prognosis of early breast cancer patients
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 .