UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: To examine the women's perceptions of their breast cancer experience, including the treatment process, sources of information and social support Methods: A 53 item questionnaire was developed and administered to 50 Israeli and 50 Palestinian women living with breast cancer. Demographics related to their cancer, satisfaction with information and support, and their coping mechanisms were examined. Results: These findings are from a broader Israeli-Palestinian project conducted between 2001 and 2003. Israeli women, 60% vs. only 35% of Palestinians found the diagnosis as the most stressful part of the cancer experience. Israelis (18%) were hampered by fears of death whereas none of the Palestinians cited this factor. Improving support services were requested by 35% of Israelis while 28% of Palestinians felt a need to improve follow up. Both groups expressed low satisfaction with emotional support from medical professionals. Palestinian women (18%) had problems with access to care while >10% of Israeli women mentioned bureaucracy as an obstacle to satisfactory treatment. Coping mechanisms, on a scale of 1-6 (highest being 6) were different in the two groups with Israelis appearing more confident (scoring 5.41) in their coping abilities vs. Palestinians, 4.47. In summary, while there are similarities between the two groups in their experiences, the data also suggests certain disparities such as access to diagnostic services, treatment, information and social support networks.