Abstract B043: Improving quality of life for Hispanic breast cancer survivors: A culturally tailored education intervention
Authors: Cuellar Idali , Omar Farhia M. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI) program in increasing knowledge and awareness of survivorship topics among survivor advocates and survivors, and to assess the impact of survivorship care plans on quality of life. Breast cancer survivorship care is crucial for improving the quality of life among survivors. Hispanic/Latino women face greater challenges and disparities in accessing survivorship care due to cultural, socioeconomic, and systemic barriers. The BCEI program, adapted from the National Cancer Institute’s model, aims to address these disparities through culturally tailored survivorship education and support. Methods: The BCEI program was piloted with a group of 8 Hispanic/Latino breast cancer survivors, in collaboration with Cancer Support Community Arizona (CSCAZ). This six-month program, created and delivered in Spanish, consisted of bi- monthly in-person sessions and phone check-ins. The educational sessions featured topics such as emotional and physical changes, lifestyle behaviors, nutrition, exercise, and psychological distress along with the introduction of a personalized survivorship care plan. These sessions provided a sense of community and emotional support with essential knowledge and understanding of the cancer journey, addressing gaps caused by language barriers in clinical settings, and the lack of Spanish language support groups. Survivor advocates underwent specialized training to effectively support the survivor participants. Data for the BCEI program was collected through pre and post survey evaluations, participant check-ins, and qualitative feedback. Survivors were paired with bilingual Patient Navigators, who connected them to resources in the community. Results: Preliminary results show a significant improvement in survivors’ knowledge and satisfaction with survivorship care. Participants demonstrated an increased awareness of the importance of survivorship care plans and showed positive changes in lifestyle behaviors. The results highlighted the program’s cultural tailoring and sense of community as key success factors. Conclusion: The Breast Cancer Education Intervention program demonstrates potential in addressing health disparities in breast cancer survivorship among Hispanic/Latino women. Building on this success, we are expanding the BCEI program to include a second iteration focused on Black and African American breast cancer survivors, who also face similar challenges and disparities. The program will be implemented in collaboration with the Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer (CBBC).
Citation Format: Idali Cuellar, Farhia M. Omar. Improving quality of life for Hispanic breast cancer survivors: A culturally tailored education intervention [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B043.