Assessing a multidisciplinary survivorship program in a group of predominantly Hispanic women with breast cancer

Abstract

Background The prevalence of long-term mental and physical illness is significant among many breast cancer survivors. We have previously reported that Hispanic survivors of breast cancer have a diminished mental and physical health-related quality of life (QoL), though in general, there is a paucity of data for this population and other minorities. Implementing a cancer survivorship program as an integral component of care during and after treatment could improve long-term QoL in survivors of breast cancer and empower them in the transition from treatment to survivorship. Objective To determine the value of implementing a multidisciplinary survivorship program that includes psychological counselling and interventions based on mindfulness and counselling. Methods Survivors of stages I-III breast cancer were recruited within 5 years of their diagnosis at an institution in El Paso, Texas, where the majority of patients are of Hispanic ethnicity, to participate for a year in a multidisciplinary program that provided psychological counselling in conjunction with oncology care, dietary advice, and an 8-week course based on mindfulness-based stress reduction. Self-administered questionnaires - the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, and the Short-Form Health Survey-36 (version 2) for QoL - were completed at baseline and every 3 months for 12 months. Results 94 patients, of whom >90% were Hispanic, were included in this 12-month analysis. 60 patients (63.8%) completed all follow-ups at 12 months. Significant improvement from baseline was observed for patient health and anxiety measures for all ethnic groups combined. Limitations Small, single-center study; no control arm using other possible interventional methods Conclusion All breast cancer survivors who participated in this 12-month multidisciplinary interventional survivorship program reported less anxiety and depression, compared with baseline measurements and showed a trend toward improved Mental Component Summary of QoL. We believe these findings are representative of outcome in Hispanic women since >90% of participants were Hispanic. Funding Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)-RP120528