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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of long-term effects of cancer and describe their impact on the quality of life and cancer screening behaviors of African Americans. Issues specific to cancer survivorship for African Americans will be examined. Comparisons will be made with African Americans who have not had cancer to identify the differential impact of cancer on African Americans lives. The study will examine quality of life issues for survivors who have been treated for a variety of cancers: leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, colon, breast, and prostate cancer, which will make possible the identification of survivorship issues that are similar across groups, as well as those unique to each. In addition, this study will explore whether there are differences between African American cancer survivors who have participated in clinical trials and those who have not. Specific aims: the primary objective of this study is (1) To identify differences in quality of life between African American cancer survivors and African Americans who have not had cancer, who are similar in terms of age, gender, health insurance status, and education, to determine the prevalence of cancer-related problems and their effects on quality of life and cancer screening behaviors. The secondary objectives are (2) To examine differences in cancer- related problems and quality of life among survivors of different cancers; and to examine the effect of gender on these differences; and (3) To describe the physical, psychological, social, and economic differences between African American cancer survivors who participated in clinical trials and those who did not. This descriptive study has a case-control design. The cancer survivor sample (n = 500) will be drawn from completed CALGB clinical trials and cancer registries of selected CALGB institutions with large African American populations. Non-cancer controls (n = 500) will be African Americans who are selected via random digit dialing from the areas in which the cancer survivors reside. The controls as a group will be matched to the survivor group on age, gender, health insurance, status, and education level. Data will be collected by telephone interview and from medical records.