191435 Strategies for Health Following Breast Cancer: A Survival Guide for African American Women

Monday, October 27, 2008: 10:50 AM

Renee Royak-Schaler, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Katherine Tkaczuk, MD , Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Kevin Brown, MA , University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Gerry Wentz, MFA , University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
John Seebode, AA , University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Peggy D. Nicholson , Sisters Network Baltimore Chapter, Gwynn Oak, MD
Le'Vonia Harper , Sisters Network Baltimore Chapter, Gwynn, MD
Alva Hutchison , American Cancer Society, South Atlantic Division, Baltimore, MD
     
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that physicians were not providing key information to cancer survivors about their cancers, treatments and side effects, or strategies for reducing the individual risk of recurrence. We designed the web-based educational program, Strategies for Health Following Breast Cancer, to present the IOM Guidelines for survivorship care following breast cancer treatment.

A theory-based model, incorporating key elements from Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model, guided the assessment of beliefs, behaviors, and communication practices in focus groups with 39 African American survivors and telephone survey interviews with 100 African American and Caucasian survivors, within 5 years of their diagnosis and primary treatment.

Fifty percent of 139 participants reported having thorough discussions with physicians about making changes in diet and physical activity that could enhance their survival. Less than 1/3 were able to implement these evidence-based recommendations on a regular basis. Strategies for Health Following Breast Cancer was designed to translate focus group and survey findings in six content areas:

1. Institute of Medicine Guidelines for Survivorship Care (2006)

2. Weight, Recurrence, and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

3. Dietary Considerations for African Americans

4. Dietary Choices and Changes: Energy Balance, Portion Control, Fat, Fruits & Vegetables

5. Physical Activity Considerations for African Americans

6. Physical Activity Choices and Changes

Breast cancer survivors need comprehensive guidance from physicians to develop plans of care, which target the context of their health status and lifestyles. Physicians need guidance for delivering evidence-based lifestyle recommendations, and strategies for optimizing patient compliance.

Learning Objectives:
1. To increase awareness of the Institute of Medicine Guidelines (2006) for cancer survivors and their implementation in patient education and clinical practice. 2. To learn a method for integrating evidence-based guidelines with theory-based models designed to provide cancer survivors with the opportunity to observe their own beliefs and behaviors, compare their communication practices to those of other AA survivors, and reach conclusions about making any changes that could improve their health outcomes. 3. To observe evidence-based strategies for facilitating patient-physician communication about cancer survivorship care.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was one of the developers and producers of the web-based educational program, _”Strategies for Health Following Breast Cancer: A Survival Guide for African American Women
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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