Since 1976, the Cancer Information Service (CIS) has been a national resource for information and education about cancer. It is a program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Nation's primary agency for cancer research. The CIS serves the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin islands through a network of regional offices. This study analyses January - August, 1999 data collected from Spanish (3,819) and English-speaking (187,131) callers to the Cancer Information Service to identify differences in the types of callers, subjects of inquiry, cancer sites, and how callers found out about the CIS.
Proportionally more Spanish-speaking callers were undiagnosed with symptoms, compared with English-speaking callers. A smaller proportion of Spanish callers than English were diagnosed patients, or family members of diagnosed patients. In general, Spanish-speaking callers were younger than English-speaking callers. Spanish-speaking callers were more likely to hear about the CIS from television and radio than English-speaking callers. English speakers were more likely than Spanish speakers to hear about the CIS from NCI publications, other printed sources, and the Internet. Spanish speakers were more likely than English speakers to be calling for referrals to health professionals, support services or screening and diagnostic tests, and less likely to be calling about cancer site information or specific treatment information. Spanish speakers were more likely to call about breast and other female reproductive cancers than English speakers. English-speaking Hispanic callers were more similar to English-speaking non-Hispanic callers than they were to Spanish-speaking callers.
Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will be able to: 1. Describe the differences between Spanish and English-speaking callers to the Cancer Information Service. 2. Prioritize the cancer information subjects of most interest to Spanish speakers. 3. Discuss the media channels most used by Spanish speakers
Keywords: Cancer, Communication Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I have significant funding through a contract with the National Cancer Institute to operate the Cancer Information Service in California.