Diana D. Jeffery, PhD, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Survivorship,, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 404, Bethesda, MD 20852, Lydia Buki, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 188G Education Building, MC-708, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820, Ann Marie Flores, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D. B. Todd, Jr., Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208, and Lin Clegg, PhD, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Cancer Statistics Branch, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Blvd, Suite 504, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Objective: An estimated 319,960 cancer survivors with Hispanic ethnicity have been identified in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results between 1990 and 2002. Among these survivors, 20% were treated for prostate cancer, 20% for breast cancer, and 13% for cancer of the esophagus, stomach or small intestine. However, limited research on the cancer survivorship experience of Hispanics has been conducted, particularly among males, or for cancer sites other than breast and prostate. In contrast to the literature on cancer survival among Hispanics, some of which shows that Hispanics are at higher risk for suboptimal cancer treatment, relapse and mortality for select cancer sites, few studies investigate how sociocultural, behavioral, and economic factors shape Hispanics' survivorship following cancer treatment. The purpose of this review is to describe existing adult cancer survivorship research in Hispanic populations, and to propose areas of future research that have the potential to ameliorate compromised survivorship.
Methods: A review of 40 published studies that included at least 20 Hispanic survivors was conducted.
Results: Compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanics often have poorer health-related quality of life (HQOL) outcomes. Research that extends beyond these exploratory studies into theory-based intervention trials that address HQOL disparities, access to comprehensive health care after cancer treatment, and socioeducational support for their families and caregivers is urgently needed. Further, we need health policy research that models the economic consequence of meeting the survivorship needs of this fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, 40% of which lacks private health insurance.
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