Abstract C06: Examining reasons for breast cancer disparities in African American women in Duval County, FL

Abstract

Abstract Background/Purpose: Cancer registry data suggests that Duval County (greater Jacksonville, FL) has the highest breast cancer mortality rate for African American (AA) women in the southeastern US. Recent research revealed that race, residence, and insurance were associated with significantly poorer breast cancer outcomes in this area. Therefore we conducted a series of focus groups with AA breast cancer survivors from the urban core of Jacksonville, FL to directly address the disparities observed in our quantitative data. Methods: A series of focus groups were conducted to obtain qualitative data topics that included: breast cancer beliefs; delays to diagnosis and treatment; disparities; and health behaviors. Results: A total of 56 AA breast cancer survivors living in the urban core, with either Medicaid or who were uninsured, participated in the focus groups. Mean age was 62 years, with an average of 3.4 years since diagnosis. Only 21% of women were employed. Participants reported their mean time to see a doctor initially for their breast cancer was 39 days, and mean time to first treatment was 178 days. Participants responded that fear, financial limitations, and personal beliefs played the biggest roles in delays to diagnosis and treatment. Participants responded that poor health behaviors, genetics, lack of education, and personal beliefs accounted for both causing breast cancer, and the disparities observed in breast cancer mortality, and felt that environmental factors from living in the urban core also contribute. Conclusions: Our findings highlight several areas for potential intervention to reduce disparities in breast cancer. Citation Format: Sarah Osian, Monica Albertie, David Monticalvo, Steven Ames, Laila Samiian, Gerardo Colon-Otero. Examining reasons for breast cancer disparities in African American women in Duval County, FL. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr C06.