Understanding the breast cancer experience of African-American women

In an effort to gain a better understanding of the psychosocial needs of African-American women with breast cancer, the authors conducted three forms of qualitative interviews: key-informant interviews, focus-group interviews, and in-depth interviews. They found that most African-American women receive inadequate information and support to help them through the initial diagnosis and treatment phases of the breast cancer experience. Many women, particularly those with less education and lower incomes, had inadequate medical insurance, received uncoordinated and incomplete medical care, and experienced a poor patient-physician relationship. A primary source of support and coping for these women was their spiritual beliefs. The results of this qualitative study have been used to prepare a survey instrument that examines these issues in a larger sample of African-American women.