Abstract P2-11-04: Education and information preferences for women with triple-negative breast cancer: Should personal or medical demographic variables impact program tailoring?
Authors: Swiger Kathleen D , Sendecki Jocelyn A , Guglielmino Janine E , Rugo Hope S , Anders Carey K , Domchek Susan M , Ahlum Hanson Arin , Dinerman Hayley , Creme Henry Catherine 
Published: May 2015

Purpose: To determine interest in tailored breast cancer education and information among women diagnosed with breast cancer based on personal and medical demographics, including subtype of breast cancer, cancer stage, age, living situation (single, married, children, student, retired), race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Respondents and Methods: An 80-question online survey was designed to identify education, information, and support needs among women diagnosed with breast cancer after 2006. Respondents self-identified their breast cancer subtype and selected up to 3 options from a list of preferences about ways in which education and information needs should be tailored. Options were "breast cancer type," "age," "stage," "living situation," "race/ethnicity," "sexual orientation," "no preference," and "other." The responses of 656 women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (25.1%) were compared to those of 1,954 women with other subtypes of breast cancer (74.9%). Logistic regression was used to assess differences in tailoring preferences between TNBC and non-TNBC women.

Results: Compared to non-TNBC women, TNBC women had a significantly stronger preference for information tailored to breast cancer subtype (71% vs. 49%, p&lt;0.001) and race/ethnicity (5% vs. 2%, p=0.002) and significantly lesser preference for tailoring based on cancer stage (43% vs. 47%, p=0.004) and living situation (15% vs. 25%, p&lt;0.001). The difference in preference for racial/ethnic tailoring between TNBC and non-TNBC participants may be due to the overall low proportion of non-white respondents to the survey (18.4%) and the higher proportion of non-whites in the TNBC group (18% vs. 11%, p &lt;0.001). There was a significantly different pattern of preference by age group between TNBC and non-TNBC women. TNBC women under 40 had a stronger preference for tailoring to their age group than younger non-TNBC women (age &lt;30, 89% vs. 77%, age 30-39, 74% vs. 62% p=0.02). Across women of all breast cancer subtypes, cancer stage played a role in tailoring preference. Women with higher stage (stage &gt;=2) breast cancer had a stronger preference for tailoring materials based on cancer stage (p&lt;0.001); this pattern did not differ by TNBC status.

Conclusion: Education and information tailoring preferences show marked differences by breast cancer subtype. Women with TNBC strongly prefer education and information be tailored to their breast cancer subtype and their race/ethnicity, but are less interested in cancer stage or living situation-specific tailoring. Additionally, younger age influenced preferences in women with TNBC. Across all women, advancing cancer stage influenced preference toward stage-tailored materials. Healthcare providers, cancer centers, and breast cancer organizations should consider developing education and information tailored to the needs of TNBC patients and survivors.

Citation Format: Kathleen D Swiger, Jocelyn A Sendecki, Janine E Guglielmino, Hope S Rugo, Carey K Anders, Susan M Domchek, Arin Ahlum Hanson, Hayley Dinerman, Catherine Creme Henry. Education and information preferences for women with triple-negative breast cancer: Should personal or medical demographic variables impact program tailoring? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-04.