Support Group Program in Improving Quality of Life in Underserved Urban Latina Breast Cancer Survivors

Developing an Intervention to Reduce Stress and Improve Quality of Life in Underserved Urban Latina Breast Cancer Survivors

This randomized clinical trial studies a support group program in improving quality of life in underserved urban Latina breast cancer survivors. A psychosocial support group program may help reduce distress and improve health-related quality of life in underserved urban Latina breast cancer survivors.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate the effect of the support program for Latina breast cancer survivors using validated measures of health-related quality of life.

II. Evaluate the effect of the support program for Latina breast cancer survivors using validated measures of general distress.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. A brief qualitative assessment will evaluate the perception of the program among intervention participants using a brief survey.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Participants attend support group sessions over 1-1.5 hours once weekly for 10 weeks. The sessions include facilitated discussions among participants about the following topics: stress management and emotional coping strategies, nutrition and physical activity, sexuality and body image, medical advocacy, self-care and social support. Participants receive a binder in which the rationale for each topic, techniques learned, and activities completed during each session will be summarized and are shown a Chair-robics digital video disc (DVD).

ARM II: Participants receive one phone call to arrange a follow-up with the promotora, a note acknowledging their participation in the study, and a community resource booklet. Participants are then yoked into one of the 3 intervention groups and asked to attend a 30 minute session similar to Arm I.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Latino
• Spanish-speaking
• Diagnosed with breast cancer
• A current resident of either King, Snohomish or Pierce counties in Washington State with the intent of remaining a resident for at least 3 months following study enrollment
• Additionally, at time of enrollment, participants must be post-treatment (with the exception of adjuvant therapy) for their primary cancer and not actively undergoing treatment for a secondary, metastatic, or recurrence of cancer (local or distant)
• There will be no restrictions on time since diagnosis for participants