Abstract B07: Advocacy for an underserved minority: Patient navigation for Latino cancer survivors
Authors: Ramirez Amelie , Miguel Sandra L. San , Muñoz Edgar , Gallion Kip , Perez Arely , Castillo Leo , Arvey Sarah R. , Penedo Frank 
Published: October 2015

Background: Latino cancer survivors experience an unequal burden of unmet needs following treatment. These include issues involving psychological issues, health care, wellness and ultimately, survival.

Study Design: Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network and LIVESTRONG partnered to conduct a randomized control trial utilizing trained, bilingual, bicultural patient navigators to improve wellness and access to psychosocial services among non-metastatic Latino cancer survivors from Texas and Chicago. The trial tests the efficacy of patient navigation (PN) in improving general and disease-specific quality of life (QoL), treatment compliance, and identification of mechanisms that may promote quality of life. The study involves a 2 X 4 randomized repeated measures design with an experimental condition (combined PN over three months with access to the LIVESTRONG Cancer Navigation Center [LCNC] services [PN+LCNC]) versus a control condition (PN only) as the between-groups factor, and time-point (baseline/pre-randomization [T1]; post-PN [3-months post T1; T2], and 6 [T3] and 12 months [T4] follow up after T2) as the within groups factor. The unique combination of PN plus LCNC survivorship services is anticipated to show dramatic improvement in survivor-related measures.

Results: LCNC provides free, bilingual support to U.S. cancer survivors throughout the cancer journey. It also refers survivors to services addressing their medical, economic and psychosocial needs, and monitors client contact and access outcomes. PN services are based on direct services provided by patient navigators, including but not limited to, securing transportation for clinic appointments, interpreting, completing complex medical forms, etc. Study implementation, needs assessment, community based participatory research, recruitment accrual to date, learned lessons, PN services offered, and referral to and effectiveness of the LCNC program and preliminary quality of life data analysis will be presented.

Conclusions: Limited work has addressed the psychosocial needs of Latino cancer survivors. Culturally sensitive patient navigation (PN) could address these needs and significantly improve cancer survivorship. The results of the study will have immediate clinical relevance that could potentially highlight the importance of having patient navigators readily available to assist survivors within a clinic setting improving patients' overall health outcomes and screening compliance.

Citation Format: Amelie Ramirez, Sandra L. San Miguel, Edgar Muñoz, Kip Gallion, Arely Perez, Leo Castillo, Sarah R. Arvey, Frank Penedo. Advocacy for an underserved minority: Patient navigation for Latino cancer survivors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B07.