African-American Breast Cancer Survivors Participating in a Breast Cancer Support Group: Translating Research into Practice

Despite an overall decline in mortality, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death among African-American women. As such, clinicians should prepare to address the unique sociocultural and psychological concerns encountered by African-American women breast cancer survivors. The objective of this study is to examine, using qualitative methods, the main coping facilitators used by African-American women as they transition across the cancer continuum. The identification of these facilitators was then aligned with culturally sensitive interventions most useful with women coping with cancer along the cancer continuum. This was a secondary analysis of 20 videotaped stories of African-American breast cancer survivors collected as a part of the Washington University Center for Excellence in Cancer Communications project. The interview began with a discussion of how the survivor first became aware she had breast cancer, followed by a series of open-ended probes used to explore the following themes: coping, relationships, health care system experiences, follow-up care, and quality of life living with breast cancer. Survivors discussed their experiences and advice for targeting needs at each cancer stage from screening to diagnosis, treatment, and then survivorship. Survivor narratives point to key evidence-based clinical intervention strategies at each stage of the cancer trajectory. This study found that survivors see a cyclical cancer course, whereby African-American breast cancer survivors serve an important role in the lives of unscreened women, newly diagnosed women, and women in treatment.