Support Group Program in Improving Quality of Life in Underserved Urban Latina Breast Cancer Survivors

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate the effect of the support program for Latina breast cancer survivors using
validated measures of health-related quality of life.

II. Evaluate the effect of the support program for Latina breast cancer survivors using
validated measures of general distress.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. A brief qualitative assessment will evaluate the perception of the program among
intervention participants using a brief survey.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Participants attend support group sessions over 1-1.5 hours once weekly for 10 weeks.
The sessions include facilitated discussions among participants about the following topics:
stress management and emotional coping strategies, nutrition and physical activity, sexuality
and body image, medical advocacy, self-care and social support. Participants receive a binder
in which the rationale for each topic, techniques learned, and activities completed during
each session will be summarized and are shown a Chair-robics digital video disc (DVD).

ARM II: Participants receive one phone call to arrange a follow-up with the promotora, a note
acknowledging their participation in the study, and a community resource booklet.
Participants are then yoked into one of the 3 intervention groups and asked to attend a 30
minute session similar to Arm I.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Latino

- Spanish-speaking

- Diagnosed with breast cancer

- A current resident of either King, Snohomish or Pierce counties in Washington State
with the intent of remaining a resident for at least 3 months following study
enrollment

- Additionally, at time of enrollment, participants must be post-treatment (with the
exception of adjuvant therapy) for their primary cancer and not actively undergoing
treatment for a secondary, metastatic, or recurrence of cancer (local or distant)

- There will be no restrictions on time since diagnosis for participants