Latinas' Experiences of Breast Cancer Treatment
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Background: Though Latinas are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than White women, when they are diagnosed, they are significantly more likely to die from breast cancer. This is in part because Latinas are less likely to receive regular breast screening. However, there are also differences in the treatments received by Latinas and White women. Though these different patterns of treatment among Latinas with breast cancer are well documented, it remains unclear why these patterns exist. The proposed pilot study will take a comprehensive approach in order to understand key underlying factors – including barriers, social and cultural norms, and individual goals and preferences – shaping treatment experiences and decision-making among low-income Latinas with breast cancer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Hypothesis/Questions: The guiding hypothesis of the overall project is: breast cancer treatment experiences and outcomes will be improved among low-income Latinas if individual goals and preferences, cultural beliefs, and external barriers are together examined and targeted for intervention. In this proposed pilot work, we will gather information on these multiple factors in order to design a community-based intervention to improve breast cancer treatment. The pilot project will create the foundation on which we can test this hypothesis in the follow-up three-year study. The products of this study will include: 1) a detailed description of the multiple factors shaping breast cancer treatment experiences and decision-making of low-income Latinas in Santa Cruz County; and 2) a community-identified list of priority factor(s) to be targeted for improvement. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Specific Aims: Our first aim is to conduct in-depth interviews and structured surveys with low-income Latinas with breast cancer, their first-degree relatives and their professional care providers in order to examine and identify the underlying individual, socio-cultural, and structural factors shaping the treatment experiences and decision-making of low-income Latina breast cancer patients and survivors in Santa Cruz County. Aim Two (A2): Drawing on the factors identified in A1, our second aim is to conduct Community Stakeholder Forums with members from the community. We will use these forms to identify the factor(s) impacting low-income Latinas' breast cancer treatment experiences that the broader community ranks highest with regard to its importance, urgency, likelihood of producing a measurable impact on treatment experiences, and feasibility.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Methods: We will use two research methods to address our specific aims. To address Aim One (A1), we will use Interviews and Surveys with a) low-income Latina breast cancer patients/survivors (n=20); b) first-degree relatives of low-income Latinas breast cancer patients/survivors (n=10); and c) professional care providers serving low-income Latinas (n=10). Interviews and surveys will be used to collect community-identified factors shaping breast cancer treatment experiences and decision-making from the multiple perspectives. To address Aim Two (A2), we will utilize Community Stakeholder Forums to share the information collected in A1 with the broader community and identify specific factors to be targeted in a follow-up community-identified intervention. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Impact: The study will add knowledge about underlying factors guiding the treatment decisions and experiences of Latina patients. If our subsequent intervention proves effective, the impact will be to improve treatment experiences of low-income Latinas in Santa Cruz County and to develop a replicable model by which other locations can seek to reduce treatment disparities for Latinas with breast cancer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Community Involvement: A Community Advisory Board consisting of Latina breast cancer survivors, service professionals at community organizations, patient advocates, and healthcare workers in Santa Cruz County has been formed to ensure we are incorporating the distinct needs of the community and to provide feedback on all study protocols and materials. Community Stakeholder Forums will also be held in order to identify which specific factors (identified in A1) are most suitable from the community’s perspective as the focus of our follow-up intervention. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Future Plans: This CRC pilot study will lay the groundwork for a full CRC study in which we will 1) use pilot study results to develop an intervention targeting the identified factor(s); and, 2) evaluate the impact of this intervention on breast cancer care for Latinas in Santa Cruz County. If successful, our long-term goal is to share this intervention to improve breast cancer care for low-income Latina populations throughout California and the United States.