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304923
Co-occurring Chronic Conditions among Multi-Ethnic Breast Cancer Survivors
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Kimlin Ashing, PhD
,
CCARE, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
Arti Hurria, MD
,
Medical Oncology, City of Hope, CA
Lily Lai, MD
,
Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
Roberto Vargas III, MD, MPH
,
Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Disease co-occurrence is not uncommon. In adult cancer patients, 68-85% are diagnosed with other chronic illnesses. Among cancer survivors, co-occurring conditions can negatively influence health and survivorship outcomes. Ethnic minorities report more co-occurring illnesses and poorer survivorship outcomes. This study documented the occurrence of multiple chronic conditions among African-American and Latina [English language preferred (ELP) and Spanish language preferred (SLP)] breast cancer survivors (BCS). 88 African-American, 95 ELP Latina, and 137 SLP Latina BCS participated. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire including demographic, cancer-related medical characteristics, and a comorbidity checklist. Almost 1 in 4 BCS endorsed at least one co-occurring condition with arthritis (37%), high blood pressure (37%), psychological difficulties (29%), and diabetes (19%) being among the most common. The co-occurrence of chronic conditions differed by ethnic and linguistic group. Specifically, SLP Latina BCS were more likely to report having diabetes (29%) and experiencing psychological difficulties (42%). Latina BCS were twice as likely to endorse osteoporosis and headaches compared to African-Americans. Hypertension (49%) and arthritis (48%) most commonly co-occurred in African-American BCS. The findings suggest that investigating the co-occurrence of multiple chronic conditions in ethnically diverse groups may shed light in understanding cancer risk, outcomes and cancer health disparities. Early assessment of multiple illnesses can facilitate integrated care during cancer treatment, better follow-up care and management of the cancer and the other illness(es). Integrated control and management of co-occurring chronic conditions have the potential to improve quality care, increase survival and decrease morbidity.
Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the co-occurring chronic conditions among African American and Latina Breast Cancer survivors and their impact on health and survivorship outcomes.
Keyword(s): Cancer, Chronic Disease Management and Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 7 years psycho-oncology experience with underserved communities. More specifically, my work with underserved populations includes several projects focusing on breast and cervical cancer prevention and survivorship. For the past 7 years at City of Hope I have been involved in survivorship studies. Specifically, I have worked on HRQOL research that assesses the effectiveness of survivorship care plans and peer navigation studies with African-American and Latina breast cancer survivors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
