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Equality in Breast
Cancer Care Study
Newswise — It has been
said that cancer doesn’t discriminate.
Sadly, that is not always the case when it
comes to cancer care.
In an effort to educate
and inform both the public and medical
community, the Northern California Cancer
Center is conducting the Equality in Breast
Cancer Care Study to learn more about how
women from diverse cultural and ethnic
backgrounds go through the experience of
being diagnosed and treated for breast
cancer.
“We are very excited to
have the opportunity to conduct this novel
inquiry into why disparities exist among
certain groups of women diagnosed with
breast cancer,” said Dr. Scarlett Lin Gomez
of the Northern California Cancer Center.
“We hope that our
findings will ultimately help to improve how
cancer treatment is given in various
populations and to help ensure that all
women, regardless of race, language, income
or any other factors, have an equal
opportunity for treatment.”
Dr. Gomez -- the
recipient of a BC06 Idea award from the
Department of Defense --and her team at the
Northern California Cancer Center
hypothesize that racial and ethnic
disparities arise from differing experiences
with health care delivery systems and within
women’s neighborhood environments.
Based on this
hypothesis, the Equality in Breast Cancer
Care Study has been conceived.
The study focuses on
four major racial/ethnic groups -- Whites,
African-Americans, Hispanics, and
Asians/Pacific Islanders – and is comprised
of two components: developmental and
application.
The developmental
component uses focus groups and qualitative
research, with open-ended questioning, to
develop an instrument appropriate for
measuring differences in cancer care among
breast cancer patients. In the application
component, Dr. Gomez and her team will
conduct an epidemiological study to
interview 1139 breast cancer patients.
The data will be
combined with geographic neighborhood data
about residential segregation and the social
and built environment. All participants will
be randomly selected and recruited through
the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry.
The study is funded by
the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer
Research Program, which receives some of its
proceeds from breast cancer research postage
stamps.
About the Northern
California Cancer Center:
The Northern California Cancer Center is a
nationally recognized leader in
understanding the causes and prevention of
cancer and in improving the quality of life
for individuals living with cancer.
The organization has
been working with scientists, educators,
patients, clinicians, and community leaders
since 1974. NCCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
with 145 employees and a $15 million
operating budget.
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