WE-CARE Community Health Forums to Increase Breast Cancer Screening and Clinical Trial Participation for Rural and Low Income Women

A Community Engagement Approach to Increasing Breast Cancer Screening and Clinical Trial Participation in Low Income and Rural Populations ('WE-CARE')

This clinical trial tests how well the Women's Engagement for Cancer Awareness, Resources, and Education (WE-CARE) community health forums work to increase breast cancer screening and clinical trial participation for rural and low income women. Despite advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in the past decade, rural-dwelling and underserved women, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color continue to experience low rates of breast cancer screening. Since the survival rate for breast cancer is largely dependent on stage at which it is diagnosed, later stage breast cancer is correlated to a poorer prognosis and higher mortality rate. The WE-CARE community health forms address structural barriers through culturally tailored educational sessions on breast cancer risk, screening and clinical trials, survivor storytelling to humanize cancer and research and patient navigation to facilitate mammogram screening and address barriers. The WE-CARE community health forums may be an effective way to increase breast cancer screening and clinical trial participation for rural and low income women.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female
• Be between the ages of 50 and 74 years
• Have no prior history of breast cancer screening (i.e., who have either never received a mammogram or have not had one in the past five years)
• Reside in a rural community in Wisconsin or belong to low income (self-reported)
• Be able to speak and understand English or Spanish
• Be willing and able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women who have received a mammogram within the past five years
• Have a current or prior diagnosis of breast cancer
• Are currently undergoing treatment for any active malignancy
• Have cognitive or psychiatric impairments that, in the judgment of the study team, would preclude meaningful participation