Quality of Life and Psychosocial Outcomes in Long-Term Survivors of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Although the concerns of survivors of breast cancer have generated many studies, the research typically has included African-American samples that were too small and inadequate for separate statistical analyses. This article reports a descriptive study of a statewide convenience sample of 117 African-American women who were long-term survivors of breast cancer. The results indicated that the women relied on spiritual faith and family support to cope with their cancer. However, they also reported difficulty talking about the disease on the one hand and lack of adequate emotional and functional support on the other. The results also suggested that the socioecological and cultural contexts of the women's lives may need closer examination when investigating health-related quality of life outcomes after cancer. Typically, these variables are controlled for rather than studied. However, with the growing emphasis on culturally competent research that allows a better understanding of the cancer experiences of women from diverse ethnic groups, researchers may need to consider factors that have not been addressed adequately in previous studies.

Key Words:

• Breast cancer
• psychosocial oncology
• African-American women