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Grant #: P30 CA47904-S1
PI: Herberman, Ronald
Project Leader: Jernigan, Jan
Title: Follow-Up Care in Breast Cancer Survivors
There is widespread consensus that women treated for breast cancer should receive regular follow-up surveillance. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends that this include: 1) physical examinations with history taking every 3-6 months for three years then every 6-12 months for two years, then annually; and 2) annual mammography. No data exist on compliance with recommended physical examinations among breast cancer survivors. However, recent research has shown a surprising underutilization of follow-up mammography in this population. An analysis of SEER data with women 65 and older found that overall, only 62% of the cohort underwent recommended annual mammography. Another 23% underwent mammography in one of two years studied, and 15% had no mammography in the two years post-treatment. In addition, African American women were less likely than White women to have any mammography during that time. Given the risk of recurrence of the disease, it is important that breast cancer survivors adhere to recommended follow-up guidelines. Yet, little is known about the extent of follow-up surveillance behaviors in breast cancer survivors or those factors that influence these behaviors. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which African American and White breast cancer survivors engage in follow-up care and will examine those factors that impact behavior. Data collection will include: 1) focus groups with a sample of African American and White breast cancer survivors; 2) interviews with a sample of African American and White physicians who treat women with breast cancer; and 3) in-depth interviews with a sample of breast cancer survivors in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Greater Metropolitan Area (GMA). Focus groups will be conducted with approximately 70 African American and White breast cancer survivors to determine their attitudes and opinions about follow-up surveillance. Interviews with oncologists and surgeons who treat breast cancer will be conducted in order to determine physicians' views about follow-up surveillance and interactions with breast cancer survivors around treatment and follow-up. These focus groups and interviews will be used to design a survey that will be completed by approximately 100 African American and White breast cancer survivors.
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