) An estimated 183,400 new cases of breast cancer and 46,240 deaths from the disease are expected in 1995. Breast cancer accounts for an unacceptable burden of morbidity and mortality among women. A disproportionate share of this burden is borne by African American women, among whom incidence rates are rising and survival rates are poorer than those of Caucasian women. Efforts to understand the basis for the disparities noted in breast cancer incidence and survival are hampered by a marked underrepresentation of African American women in breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment trials. The proposed study will develop and implement a culturally sensitive radio-based public awareness campaign, targeted toward African American women, to encourage them to call the Cancer Information Service (CIS) for information regarding breast cancer prevention and treatment trials. It will build on outreach efforts developed and tested by the CIS and found to be extremely effective in reaching the African American community to improve awareness about cancer prevention in general, and to provide telephone smoking cessation counseling to African American smokers in particular.
The specific aims of the proposal are to: identify, through a series of focus groups and interviews, the potential consumer and provider barriers of participation by African American women in breast cancer prevention and treatment trials; design and implement a culturally sensitive paid radio campaign to address these barriers and encourage women to call the CIS for information regarding breast cancer trials, and evaluate the efficacy of the ad campaign by calls to the CIS. A key component of the project will be the establishment of a Community Advisory Board, including leaders in the African American community and African American health care providers, to offer their support and guidance. This work will build on the long tradition at Fox Chase Cancer Center of transferring cancer control technology to underserved and minority populations, and on the innovative directions of the CIS in its outreach efforts.
