Post-Treatment Survivorship Care Needs of Spanish-speaking Latinas with Breast Cancer

Background: A comprehensive assessment of Spanish-speaking breast cancer survivors' (SSBCS) survivorship needs is lacking.

Objective: Assess SSBCS' post-treatment symptom management, psychosocial, and informational needs.

Methods: 118 telephone surveys and 25 in-person semi-structured interviews with SSBCS, and semi-structured interviews with 5 support providers and 4 physicians who serve SSBCS from 5 Northern California counties.

Results: Surveys identified the most bothersome (bothered by it in the past month "somewhat/quite a bit/a lot") physical symptoms as: joint pain, fatigue, hot flashes, numbness in hands/feet, and vaginal dryness. The most bothersome emotional symptoms were thoughts of recurrence/new cancers, depression/sadness, anxieties, and stress. Seven themes emerged from interviews: 1) unmet physical symptom management needs; 2) social support from family/friends often ends when treatment is completed; 3) challenges resuming roles; 5) sense of abandonment by health care system when treatment ends; 6) need for formal transition from active treatment to follow-up care; 6) fear of recurrence especially when obtaining follow-up care; and 7) desire for information on late effects of initial treatments and side effects of hormonal treatments. Based on survey and interview results, we present a conceptual framework for survivorship care interventions for SSBCS.

Limitations: Sample may not represent SSBCS' concerns seen outside of Northern California hospitals.

Conclusions: Physical and psychosocial symptoms were common. SSBCS need culturally appropriate survivorship care programs that address symptom management, psychosocial concerns, follow-up care, and healthy lifestyles.