Cancer
Evaluating health-related quality of life among Hispanic breast cancer survivors Eunkyung Lee* Eunkyung Lee Maria Eduarda de Azevedo Daruge Jongik Chung Jaeyoung Park Robert B. Hines Victoria Loerzel
Background: Hispanic breast cancer survivors report worse health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to non-Hispanic counterparts. Due to large intercultural diversities, little is known about intra-Hispanic disparities that could guide culturally tailored interventions. This study assessed intra-Hispanic disparities and the independent factors associated with HRQOL among Hispanic breast cancer survivors.
Methods: Eligible participants were Hispanic women >20 years old, diagnosed with breast cancer at least six months ago, alive and resident of Central Florida, and able to read/speak either English or Spanish, who were recruited following the Florida Cancer Registry recruitment procedure. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Breast (FACT-B+4) was utilized to assess HRQOL total and six domains’ scores: physical, social, emotional, and functional well-being, as well as breast cancer and arm symptoms. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to identify independent factors associated with the FACT-B+4 total score, adjusting for potential confounders. Radar charts were constructed to examine the dynamics of domain scores.
Results: 411 women have participated, including 36 Colombians, 25 Cubans, 31 Dominicans, 23 Mexicans, 213 Puerto Ricans, 24 Venezuelans, and 59 others. The mean total score was the highest among Cubans (134.7±18.6) and the lowest among Dominicans (108.3±29.5). The significant factors included national origin, age at diagnosis, body mass index, income, and comorbidities. Radar charts showed that breast cancer symptoms were the worst, while arm symptoms had the most significant variation among the six domains according to national origin.
Conclusions: There were significant intra-disparities in HRQOL among Hispanic breast cancer survivors. The differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by national origin could explain these disparities and be used to develop culturally tailored intervention programs.
