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Latinas more likely
to regret breast cancer treatment decisions
ANN ARBOR: Latina women who prefer speaking Spanish are more
likely than other ethnic groups to express regret or
dissatisfaction with their breast cancer treatment, according to
a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Despite receiving similar treatment, Latina women were 5.6 times
more likely than white women to report high levels of
dissatisfaction and regret about their breast cancer treatment
decision.
The researchers found that Latinas and other ethnic groups had
similar levels of involvement with their doctor in deciding the
treatment plan. But Latinas were more likely to say they
would have preferred to be more involved in the decision making. |
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Researchers surveyed 925 women with non-advanced breast cancer
from the Los Angeles area. Women
were asked about the decision making process in choosing their
breast cancer treatment. Nearly half of the women surveyed were
Latina, with a quarter preferring to speak Spanish. These women
were 3.5 times more likely than English-speaking Latinas to have
difficulty understanding written information about breast
cancer.
“Even though they received similar amounts of information as
whites, Latinas who prefer speaking Spanish reported a strong
desire for more information. Doctors may need to make additional
effort to ensure this information is understandable and
culturally appropriate for all ethnic groups to improve the
decision making process for breast cancer patients,” says lead
study author Sarah T. Hawley, Ph.D., assistant professor
of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School and a research
investigator at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
The study appears in the November issue of the journal Patient
Education and Counseling.
Breast cancer statistics: 184,450 Americans will be diagnosed
with breast cancer this year and 40,930 will die from the
disease, according to the American Cancer Society
Additional authors: Ann Hamilton, Ph.D., University of
Southern California; Nancy K. Janz, Ph.D., U-M School of Public
Health; Jennifer J. Griggs, M.D., M.P.H., U-M Medical School;
Amy K. Alderman, M.D., M.P.H., U-M Medical School; Mahasin
Mujahid, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program,
Harvard School of Public Health; Steven J. Katz, M.D., M.P.H.,
U-M Medical School and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Funding: National Cancer Institute
Reference: Patient Education and Counseling, Vol.
73, issue 2, pp. 363-370
Resources: U-M Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125
U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center,
www.mcancer.org |
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