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Advancing breast cancer survivorship among African-American women

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Abstract

Advances have occurred in breast cancer survivorship but, for many African-American women, challenges and gaps in relevant information remain. This article identifies opportunities to address disparities in breast cancer survival and quality of life, and thereby to increase breast cancer survivorship among African-American women. For breast cancer survivors, common side effects, lasting for long periods after cancer treatment, include fatigue, loss of strength, difficulty sleeping, and sexual dysfunction. For addressing physical and mental health concerns, a variety of interventions have been evaluated, including exercise and weight training, dietary interventions, yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction, and support groups or group therapy. Obesity has been associated with breast cancer recurrence and poorer survival. Relative to white survivors, African-American breast cancer survivors are more likely to be obese and less likely to engage in physical activity, although exercise improves overall quality of life and cancer-related fatigue. Considerable information exists about the effectiveness of such interventions for alleviating distress and improving quality of life among breast cancer survivors, but few studies have focused specifically on African-American women with a breast cancer diagnosis. Studies have identified a number of personal factors that are associated with resilience, increased quality of life, and positive adaptation to a breast cancer diagnosis. There is a need for a better understanding of breast cancer survivorship among African-American women. Additional evaluations of interventions for improving the quality of life and survival of African-American breast cancer survivors are desirable.

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Funding source

This work is funded by the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA166785-01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health and Sustainability, Division of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA

    Steven S. Coughlin

  2. Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Wonsuk Yoo & Selina A. Smith

  3. Florida Resources for Empowering Sustainable Health and SISTAAH Talk Breast Cancer Support Group, Miami, FL, USA

    Mary S. Whitehead

  4. Southwick 328, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA

    Steven S. Coughlin

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  1. Steven S. Coughlin
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Correspondence to Steven S. Coughlin.

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Coughlin, S.S., Yoo, W., Whitehead, M.S. et al. Advancing breast cancer survivorship among African-American women. Breast Cancer Res Treat 153, 253–261 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-015-3548-3

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