The long range goal of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally sensitive educational program aimed at reducing the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer among American Indian women. The project plans on increasing breast cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment among primary care physicians and other health providers at Indian clinics in the state of California. Packaging this information along with information on the Indian culture, barriers faced by Indian women, communication problems and resource availability will be a major goal. The provision of information to thus target group will be accomplished through a series of workshops and training designed to provide state-of-the- art educational materials to these providers. American Indian women will also be targeted, and their training will include breast cancer screening and treatment areas, with a specific section on how to communicate with providers, what questions to ask, and what they can expect in the screening and treatment of breast cancer. Communication issues will be addressed, as will barriers. Although current data does not identify breast cancer is a major cancer in American Indian communities, studies have documented the unreliability of these data (racial misclassification, etc.) Cancer is a major concern in American Indian communities, and providers at Indian health care clinics need to be kept abreast of current treatment and protocols. Indian women also need to be informed of new technology, and they must be encouraged to become partners in their health care.
