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BACKGROUND: The authors investigated disparities in the survivorship experience among Latinas with breast cancer (BC) in comparison with non-Latinas. METHODS: A cross-sectional bilingual telephone survey was conducted among 212 Latina and non-Latina women within 10 to 24 months after a diagnosis of BC (AJCC TNM staging system stage 0-III) at 2 Los Angeles County public hospitals. Data were collected using the Preparing for Life as a (New) Survivor (PLANS) scale, Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions Questionnaire (PEPPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) Symptom Checklist, Satisfaction with Care and Information Scale, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) tool, Charlson Comorbidity Index adapted for patient self-report, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. Controlling variables included age, stage as determined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system, educational level, and study site in multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The mean ages of Latinas and non-Latinas were 51.5 years and 56.6 years, respectively. Compared with non-Latinas, Latinas reported less BC survivorship knowledge (27.3 vs 30.7; P<.0001), were more dissatisfied with BC care information (2.3 vs 3.4; P<.0001), reported lower PEPPI scores (38.2 vs 42.2; P = .03), and experienced more BCPT symptoms (6.4 vs 5.0; P = .04). No differences were noted regarding their confidence in survivorship care preparedness (42.7 vs 41; P = .191), satisfaction with BC survivorship care (9.6 vs 8.8; P = .298), or their discussion with physicians (9.6 vs 8.1; P = .07). These ethnic group differences persisted in multivariate analyses, with the exception of PEPPI. CONCLUSIONS: Latina survivors of BC experienced disparities in BC knowledge and satisfaction with information received, but believed themselves to be prepared for survivorship and were as satisfied with providers, care received, and discussions with physicians as non-Latinas. Cancer 2018;124:2373-80. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

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Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of treatment summaries and survivorship care plans coupled with a nurse counseling session, primarily on physician implementation of and secondarily on patient adherence to recommended survivorship care, among a low-income population of breast cancer survivors (survivors). Methods We recruited 212 low-income, predominantly Latina (72.6%) survivors with stage 0 to III breast cancer, with an average age of 53 years, from two Los Angeles County public hospitals into an RCT of a survivorship care nurse counseling session coupled with the provision of individualized treatment summaries and survivorship care plans to patients and their health care providers from December 2012 to July 2014. One hundred seven survivors received the experimental intervention, and 105 survivors received usual care. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess intervention effects on physician implementation of and patient adherence to recommended survivorship care. Scales that served as covariables were Knowledge of Survivorship Issues, Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions, and Satisfaction With Care and Information. Results Survivors in the intervention group reported greater physician implementation of recommended breast cancer survivorship care, for example, treatment of depression or hot flashes, than did those in the control group (adjusted difference, 16 ± 5.3; P = .003). Baseline Satisfaction With Care and Information was positively associated with physician implementation (coefficient, 5.2 ± 2.2; P = .02). Being married/partnered (-11.8 ± 4.0; P = .004) and age (-0.5 ± 0.2; P = .028) were negatively associated with patient adherence. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first RCT of survivorship care plans to show benefits in clinical outcomes, in this case, showing increased physician implementation of recommended breast cancer survivorship care in the intervention group, compared with the control group.

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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the 10-item Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interaction (PEPPI-10) scale in hospitalized patients with severe knee osteoarthritis in the People's Republic of China. METHODS: Between January and March 2015, the Chinese versions of PEPPI, self-efficacy for exercise scale, osteoporosis self-efficacy scale, and modified fall efficacy scale were applied to assess 110 severe knee osteoarthritis patients who were hospitalized in the second ward of the department of arthroplasty surgery of Tianjin Hospital. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the PEPPI-10 scale had a high coefficient of internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient, 0.907). The score of the Chinese version of PEPPI was weakly correlated with the scores of the Chinese versions of self-efficacy for exercise scale, osteoporosis self-efficacy scale, and modified fall efficacy scale. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of the PEPPI-10 scale exhibits sufficient internal consistency and convergent validity in hospitalized patients with severe knee osteoarthritis in the People's Republic of China.

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BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to identify risk factors for a lower quality of life (QOL) among low-income women with breast cancer (BC), with an emphasis on the impact of patient-physician communication. In addition, ethnic/racial group differences in QOL changes over time were examined. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted among 921 low-income women with BC. Patients were interviewed at 6 months, 18 months, 36 months, and 60 months after their diagnosis of BC. Mixed-effect regression models were performed to investigate predictors for and time effects on QOL. The main outcomes included the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short Form-36 Mental Component Summary scale (SF-36 MCS), Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary scale (SF-36 PCS), and the Ladder of Life scale. Chief independent variables included physician information-giving and patient self-efficacy in interacting with physicians. RESULTS: There were no significant changes noted over time in QOL except with regard to physical functioning, with survivors reporting a significant decrease over time (P<.0001). Mean SF-36 MCS and SF-36 PCS scores were lower than national general population norms at all time points. Both patient self-efficacy in interacting with physicians and physician information-giving were found to be positively associated with the SF-36 MCS (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively) and Ladder of Life (P = .01 and P = .03, respectively) scales. Latinas who were less acculturated reported higher SF-36 MCS and SF-36 PCS scores (P<.0001 and P = .01, respectively) and better global QOL (P<.0001) than white women. CONCLUSIONS: Low-income women with BC experienced poor physical and mental health. The results of the current study suggest that QOL among low-income women with BC would be enhanced by interventions aimed at empowering patients in communicating with physicians and increasing the amount of information provided by physicians.

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Unwarranted breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy dose reductions have been documented in black women, women of lower socioeconomic status, and those who are obese. No information on the quality of chemotherapy is available in Hispanic women. The purpose of this study was to characterize factors associated with first cycle chemotherapy dose selection in a multi-ethnic sample of low-income women receiving chemotherapy through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Treatment Program (BCCPT) and to investigate the impact of Hispanic ethnicity and patient self-efficacy on adjuvant chemotherapy dose selection. Survey and chemotherapy information were obtained from consenting participants enrolled in the California BCCPT. Analyses identified clinical and non-clinical factors associated with first cycle chemotherapy doses less than 90 % of expected doses. Of 552 patients who received chemotherapy, 397 (72 %) were eligible for inclusion. First cycle dose reductions were given to 14 % of the sample. In multivariate analyses, increasing body mass index and non-academic treatment site were associated with doses below 90 % of the expected doses. No other clinical or non-clinical factors, including ethnicity, were associated with first cycle doses selection. In this universally low-income sample, we identified no association between Hispanic ethnicity and other non-clinical patient factors, including patient self-efficacy, in chemotherapy dose selection. As seen in other studies, obesity was associated with systematic dose limits. The guidelines on chemotherapy dose selection in the obese may help address such dose reductions. A greater understanding of the association between type of treatment site and dose selection is warranted. Overall, access to adequate health care allows the vast majority of low-income women with breast cancer to receive high-quality breast cancer chemotherapy.

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PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of the involvement of primary care physicians (PCPs) on the receipt of preventive follow-up care after a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis among a low-income population. METHODS: Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential factors associated with receipt of preventive care among 579 low-income women with BC. The main outcome variables at 36 months after BC diagnosis were receipt of annual mammography, Papanicolaou smear in the past 2 years, and ever had colonoscopy for those who were at least 50 years old. The main independent variable was type of provider visit in the past 12 months. RESULTS: Women with a PCP visit only or both PCP and surgeon/cancer specialist visits in the past 12 months were more likely to have had annual mammography (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.67; P = .109 and AOR, 2.20, P = .0008, respectively), a Papanicolaou smear in the past 2 years (AOR, 2.90; P = .04 and AOR, 2.24, P = .009, respectively), and colonoscopy (AOR, 2.99; P = .041 and AOR, 2.17; P = .026, respectively) than those who only visited surgeons/cancer specialists. Indeed, women who saw only a PCP for their follow-up care had the highest odds ratio of receiving each clinical care service. CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of PCPs in the medical care of low-income BC survivors results in better preventive follow-up care. Getting PCPs involved in the care of cancer survivors might be particularly pertinent for low-income populations because of lower costs and ease of access compared with cancer specialist-provided care.

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Low-income women may be especially vulnerable to job loss after a breast cancer diagnosis. The identification of early risk factors for not returning to work in the long term could inform interventions to help survivors avoid this outcome. A consecutive sample of low-income, employed, underinsured/uninsured women treated for stage 0-III breast cancer was surveyed 6, 18, 36, and 60 months after diagnosis. Participants were classified according to the survey in which they first reported return to work. If they were not working in every survey they were classified as not returning to work. Correlates of not returning to work were identified. Of 274 participants, 36 % returned to work by 6 months, an additional 21 % by 18, 10 % by 36, and 5 % by 60 months. 27 % never returned to work. Of those not working at 6 months, 43 % never returned. Independent predictors of never returning to work included lowest annual income (<$10,000), Latina ethnicity, high comorbidity burden, and receipt of chemotherapy. Very poor women who stop working during chemotherapy for breast cancer are at risk of not returning to work months and years following treatment. These findings may have clinical and policy implications. Conversely, radiation therapy, axillary node dissection, age, and job type do not appear to be associated with return to work. Clinicians should discuss work-related concerns with patients and facilitate early return to work when desired by the patient. Additional research is needed to develop interventions to optimize return to work.

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To assess the impact of patient-provider communication on adherence to tamoxifen (TAM) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) 36 months after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis in a low-income population of women. California statewide surveys were conducted among 921 low-income women with BC at 6, 18, and 36 months after BC diagnosis. A subset of 303 women with stage I-III BC who initiated hormone treatment after diagnosis was identified. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and adjusted adherence rates were calculated. The main outcome measure was self-reported hormone use at 36 months after BC diagnosis and the chief independent variables were patient-centered communication after diagnosis by patient report as measured by the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and patients' self-efficacy in patient-physician interactions (PEPPI). Overall adherence to TAM/AI was relatively high (88 %). Adjusted rates of adherence were 59 and 94 % for patients with the lowest versus highest scores on the CAHPS communication scale (AOR = 1.22, P = 0.006) and 72 versus 91 % for patients with the lowest and highest rating of PEPPI (AOR = 1.04, P = 0.04). Having at least one comorbid condition also increased the odds of adherence to hormonal therapy (AOR = 3.14, P = 0.03). Having no health insurance and experiencing side-effects from hormone treatment were barriers for adherence (AOR = 0.12, P = 0.001; AOR = 0.26, P = 0.003, respectively). Patient-centered communication and perceived self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction were significantly associated with patient adherence to ongoing TAM/AI therapy among low-income women with BC. Interventions on patient-provider communication may provide opportunities to improve patient outcomes in this vulnerable population.

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OBJECTIVE: Deciding among medical treatment options is a pivotal event following cancer diagnosis, a task that can be particularly daunting for individuals uncomfortable with communication in a medical context. Few studies have explored the surgical decision-making process and associated outcomes among Latinas. We propose a model to elucidate pathways through which acculturation (indicated by language use) and reports of communication effectiveness specific to medical decision making contribute to decisional outcomes (i.e., congruency between preferred and actual involvement in decision making, treatment satisfaction) and quality of life among Latinas and non-Latina White women with breast cancer. METHODS: Latinas (N = 326) and non-Latina Whites (N = 168) completed measures six months after breast cancer diagnosis, and quality of life was assessed 18 months after diagnosis. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships between language use, communication effectiveness, and outcomes. RESULTS: Among Latinas, 63% reported congruency in decision making, whereas 76% of non-Latina Whites reported congruency. In Latinas, greater use of English was related to better reported communication effectiveness. Effectiveness in communication was not related to congruency in decision making, but several indicators of effectiveness in communication were related to greater treatment satisfaction, as was greater congruency in decision making. Greater treatment satisfaction predicted more favorable quality of life. The final model fit the data well only for Latinas. Differences in quality of life and effectiveness in communication were observed between racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of developing targeted interventions for physicians and Latinas with breast cancer to enhance communication in decision making.

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BACKGROUND: Belief in divine control is often assumed to be fatalistic. However, the assumption has rarely been investigated in racial/ethnic minorities. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the association between belief in divine control and coping and how the association was moderated by ethnicity/acculturation in a multi-ethnic sample of breast cancer patients. METHODS: Latina, African American, and non-Hispanic White older women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (N=257) from a population-based survey completed the scale of Belief in Divine Control and the Brief COPE. RESULTS: Belief in divine control was positively related to approach coping (i.e., positive reframing, active coping, and planning) in all ethnic groups. Belief in divine control was positively related to acceptance and negatively related to avoidance coping (i.e., denial and behavioral disengagement) among low-acculturated Latinas. CONCLUSIONS: Negative presumptions about fatalistic implications of belief in divine control should be critically reappraised, especially when such skepticism is applied to racial/ethnic minority patients.

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BACKGROUND: Previous research has found an 80% return-to-work rate in mid-income white breast cancer survivors, but little is known about the employment trajectory of low-income minorities or whites. We set out to compare the trajectories of low-income Latina and non-Latina white survivors and to identify correlates of employment status. METHODS: Participants were low-income women who had localized breast cancer, spoke English or Spanish, and were employed at the time of diagnosis. Interviews were conducted 6, 18, and 36 months after diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates of employment status at 18 months. RESULTS: Of 290 participants, 62% were Latina. Latinas were less likely than non-Latina whites to be working 6 months (27% vs 49%; P = .0002) and 18 months (45% vs 59%; P = .02) after diagnosis, but at 36 months there was no significant difference (53% vs 59%; P = .29). Latinas were more likely to be manual laborers than were non-Latina whites (P < .0001). Baseline job type and receipt of axillary node dissection were associated with employment status among Latinas but not non-Latina whites. CONCLUSIONS: Neither low-income Latinas nor non-Latina whites approached the 80% rate of return to work seen in wealthier white populations. Latinas followed a protracted return-to-work trajectory compared to non-Latina whites, and differences in job type appear to have played an important role. Manual laborers may be disproportionately impacted by surgical procedures that limit physical activity. This can inform the development of rehabilitative interventions and may have important implications for the surgical and postsurgical management of patients.

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PURPOSE: There is little evidence to document patient satisfaction with follow-up care provided by family physicians (FPs)/general practitioners (GPs) to breast cancer patients. We aimed to identify determinants of satisfaction with such care in low-income, medically underserved women with breast cancer. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 145 women who reported receiving follow-up care from an FP/GP. Women were enrolled in California's Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program and were interviewed by phone 3 years after their breast cancer diagnosis. Cleary and McNeil's model, which states that patient satisfaction is a function of patient characteristics, structure of care, and processes of care, was used to understand the determinants of satisfaction. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors. RESULTS: Of the patients interviewed, 73.4% reported that they were extremely satisfied with their treatment by the FP/GP. Women who were able to ask their family physicians questions about their breast cancer had six times greater odds of being extremely satisfied compared with women who were not able to ask any questions. Women who scored the FP higher on the ability to explain things in a way she could understand had higher odds of being extremely satisfied compared with women who scored their family physicians lower. CONCLUSIONS: FPs/GPs providing follow-up care for breast cancer patients should encourage patients to ask questions and must communicate in a way that patients understand. These recommendations are congruent with the characteristics of patient-centered communication for cancer patients enunciated in a recent National Cancer Institute monograph.

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BACKGROUND: Delayed diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) may contribute to adverse outcomes, such as reduced survival. The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of elapsed time between recognition of breast abnormalities and receipt of definitive diagnosis of BC among low-income women. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study among a statewide sample of 921 low-income women with a new diagnosis of BC. Patients were grouped by whether their breast abnormalities were self-detected or healthcare system detected. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between diagnostic delay and patient characteristics, patient communication, and system characteristics. RESULTS: The self-detected group experienced much greater delay than the system-detected group (median intervals 80.5 vs. 31.5 days). African Americans had the longest intervals between symptom detection and diagnostic resolution; median delays in the self-detected and system-detected subgroups were 115 and 70 days, respectively, compared to 64 and 22 days for Caucasians. In multivariate analyses, African Americans had considerably greater odds of >60-day delay than Caucasians in both the self-detected (odds ratio [OR] 3.51) and system-detected (OR 5.36) groups. Greater perceived self-efficacy in interacting with healthcare providers was significantly associated with shorter delay among the self-detected group (OR 0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in timely BC diagnosis between African Americans and Caucasians were pronounced in this uniformly low-income population of women. Women with self-detected abnormalities had markedly greater delays than those with healthcare system-detected abnormalities. Among this vulnerable group, increasing self-efficacy in interacting with healthcare providers may reduce diagnostic delays.

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PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the experiences of older women regarding barriers to care for breast cancer in their prediagnostic period and throughout their diagnoses, treatments, and beyond. RESEARCH APPROACH: Qualitative, descriptive study guided by grounded theory. SETTING: Participants' homes or apartments in southern California. PARTICIPANTS: 18 women aged 70 years or older who recently completed treatment for breast cancer. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Semistructured, individual interviews. The analytic approach was constructivist grounded theory. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Gero-oncology perspective of accessing care across the breast cancer trajectory. FINDINGS: Three interconnected, age-related barriers to care were described by the women throughout their cancer trajectories: knowledge deficits, preexisting comorbid diseases, and multiple appointments with healthcare providers. The women navigated beyond the triple barriers to life after cancer. Women described how the services of an oncology nurse navigator facilitated their progress. CONCLUSIONS: Despite diverse sociodemographic circumstances and challenges in the healthcare system, all women successfully navigated the triple barriers. INTERPRETATION: Effective age-appropriate care requires sensitivity to the unique needs of older people newly diagnosed with cancer. Awareness of the triple barriers can be a catalyst for nurses to enhance access to care for older adults who fight to overcome a life-threatening disease and move on with their lives. More research is needed that specifically focuses on the role of oncology nurse navigators in older populations.

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PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of care provided to uninsured women with breast cancer who received treatment through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Treatment Program (BCCTP). METHODS: Participants included women with stage I to III breast cancer (n = 658) from a consecutive sample of women 18 years or older who received coverage through the California BCCTP between February 2003 and September 2005 who consented to a survey and medical record review (61% response rate). Quality of breast cancer care was evaluated using 29 evidence-based quality measures developed for the National Initiative for Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ). NICCQ, a largely insured cohort of women diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer in 1998, was used to benchmark the results. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of women presented with stage III disease compared with fewer than 10% nationally. Patients received 93% of recommended care (95% CI, 92% to 93%). Adherence to recommended care within domains ranged from 87% for post-treatment surveillance (95% CI, 84% to 90%) to 97% for diagnostic evaluation (95% CI, 96% to 97%). Compared to the NICCQ cohort, adherence to quality measures was as good or better for the BCCPT cohort in all domains except post-treatment surveillance. CONCLUSION: The BCCTP has made important inroads in providing poor, uninsured women with access to high quality care when faced with the diagnosis of breast cancer; however, many present at an advanced stage, which is associated with worse outcomes.

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BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is an important outcome measure in determining quality of care. There are few data evaluating patient satisfaction in nonwhite, low-income populations. The objective of this study was to identify the structure, process, and outcome factors that impact patient satisfaction with care in a low-income population of women with breast cancer. METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey of low-income women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, eligible women enrolled in the California Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) from February 2003 through September 2005 were interviewed by phone 6 months after their enrollment. This was a population-based sample of women aged >or=18 years (n = 924) with a definitive diagnosis of breast cancer and enrolled in the BCCTP. The main outcome measure was satisfaction with care received. RESULTS: Random effects logistic regression revealed that less acculturated Latinas were more likely (odds ratio, [OR] = 5.36, p < 0.000) to be extremely satisfied with their care compared with non-Hispanic white women. Women who believed they could have been diagnosed sooner were less likely to be extremely satisfied (OR = 0.61, p < 0.000). Women who had received or were receiving radiotherapy or chemotherapy had nearly twice the odds of being extremely satisfied (OR = 2.02, p < 0.000, and OR = 2.13, p < 0.000, respectively). Greater information giving was associated with greater satisfaction (OR = 1.17, p < 0.000). Women reporting greater physician emotional support were more likely to report being extremely satisfied (OR = 1.26, p < 0.000). A higher participatory treatment decision-making score was associated with greater satisfaction (OR = 1.78, p < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: In a low-income population, satisfaction is also reported at high levels. In addition to age, ethnicity/acculturation, receipt of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, physician emotional support, and collaborative decision making, perception of diagnostic delay is a predictor of dissatisfaction in this population.

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Few studies have assessed the agreement between subjects' self-report and medical records among patients with breast cancer (BC), and none has addressed this issue in low-income women with BC. We assessed the level of agreement between self-report and medical records data for key BC treatment and prognostic characteristics using correct proportion and the Kappa statistic, among 726 low-income BC patients. Unconditional regression was used to investigate the association between accuracy of self-report and potential explanatory factors. Overall agreement between self-report and medical records was 95.3-99.6% for BC treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy (Kappa = 0.79-0.99). Specific agreement was 87-89.5% for surgery type (Kappa = 0.51-0.96); 86.3% for chemotherapy completion (Kappa = 0.46) and 98.7% for radiotherapy completion (Kappa = 0.43); 95.2% for medical oncologist consultation (Kappa = 0.59) and 96% for radiation oncologist consultation; 97.3% for metastasis (Kappa = 0.56); and 93.6% for recurrence (Kappa = 0.30). When accepting answers within 15 days of the medical record date, 78.2% of women correctly reported surgery date, yet only around 55% of women correctly reported the start and/or end date of radiotherapy. Older age, less education, BC recurrence and poor patient-physician communication were associated with the lesser accuracy of patients' self-report compared to medical records (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that self-reporting of key treatment and prognostic information is relatively accurate among low-income women with BC. Self-report seems to be a reliable source for accurate information when medical record review is unavailable or unfeasible. Interventions to enhance patient-physician communication may facilitate more accurate information reporting among vulnerable populations.

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OBJECTIVE: Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States and breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic women. However, Hispanics are underrepresented in the psychosocial breast cancer literature. METHODS: This study included 677 low-income women (425 Hispanic, 252 non-Hispanic White) enrolled in the Medi-Cal Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. Data were gathered through phone interviews conducted in English or Spanish 6 and 18 months following breast cancer diagnosis. We focus on three variables that the literature indicates are salient for breast cancer survivors: sexual function, body image and depression. RESULTS: Results of an ANCOVA indicated worse sexual function for Hispanic women, even after controlling for significant covariates. Hispanics reported significantly less sexual desire, greater difficulty relaxing and enjoying sex, and greater difficulty becoming sexually aroused and having orgasms than non-Hispanic White women. Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women endorsed a lack of sexual desire more frequently than problems with sexual function. Body image did not differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women. In all, 38% of Hispanic and 48% of non-Hispanic White women scored above cut-off scores for depressive symptoms. While there was no ethnic difference in depressive symptoms, single women reported more depressive symptoms than partnered women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that low-income breast cancer survivors may experience symptoms of depression more than a year following diagnosis, and that sexual dysfunction may be particularly salient for low-income Hispanic women.

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Low-income, minority women are more likely to be undertreated for breast cancer (BC) treatment-related symptoms than whites. This study assessed the impact of patient-physician communication on symptom resolution. A cross-sectional, California statewide survey was conducted among 921 low-income women with BC. Ethnic/racial differences in BC treatment-related symptoms (pain, nausea/vomiting, depression) reporting and physician' awareness of these symptoms were assessed by patient report. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the impact of patient-physician communication on symptom resolution. Depression was the most common symptom reported by patients (66%), yet physicians were the least aware of it (26.3%), especially among less-acculturated Latinas (18.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islanders (14%; P < 0.001). Greater patient-perceived self-efficacy in communication with physicians and greater physician awareness of the symptom positively predicted pain resolution, controlling for sociodemographic variables, comorbidity, and treatment received (AOR = 1.05, P < 0.0001; AOR = 6.12, P < 0.001). Physician awareness was a significant determinant of depression resolution (AOR = 13.46, P < 0.001). Yet patient-perceived self-efficacy played a much more important role than physicians' awareness in nausea resolution (AOR = 1.04, P = 0.0002). Less-acculturated Latinas tended to achieve less symptom resolution than whites, while this negative impact disappeared or was moderated after patient-physician communication was considered. This study suggests that physicians under-recognized depression, especially among Latinas. The resolution of BC treatment-related symptoms can be addressed by appropriate educational interventions targeted at patient-physician communication. Effective patient-physician communication can moderate disparities in symptom resolution among Latinas, regardless of language acculturation.

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BACKGROUND: Breast reconstructive surgery can improve mastectomy patients' emotional relationships and social functioning, but it may be underutilized in low-income, medically underserved women. This study assessed the impact of patient-physician communication on rates of breast reconstructive surgery in low-income breast cancer (BC) women receiving mastectomy. METHODS: A cross-sectional, California statewide survey was conducted of women with income less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and receiving BC treatment through the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. A subset of 327 women with nonmetastatic disease who underwent mastectomy was identified. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. The chief dependent variable was receipt of or planned breast reconstructive surgery by patient report at 6 months after diagnosis; chief independent variables were physician interactive information giving and patient perceived self-efficacy in interacting with physicians. RESULTS: Greater physician information giving about BC and its treatment and greater patient perceived self-efficacy positively predicted breast reconstructive surgery (OR=1.12, P=.04; OR=1.03, P=.01, respectively). The observed negative effects of language barriers and less acculturation among Latinas and lower education at the bivariate level were mitigated in multivariate modeling with the addition of the patient-physician communication and self-efficacy variables. CONCLUSIONS: Empowering aspects of patient-physician communication and self-efficacy may overcome the negative effects of language barriers and less acculturation for Latinas, as well as of lower education generally, on receipt of or planned breast reconstructive surgery among low-income women with BC. Intervening with these aspects of communication could result in breast reconstructive surgery rates more consistent with the general population and in improved quality of life among this disadvantaged group.

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