Quality of Life of African-American and White Long Term Breast Carcinoma Survivors

Background: Increasingly, the quality of life (QOL) of women diagnosed with breast carcinoma is being studied. However, there is little information regarding long term survivors among ethnic minority women. The purpose of this study was to describe the QOL of long term breast carcinoma survivors (BCS) and to examine the role of ethnicity in influencing their well-being.

Methods: The authors conducted a mailed survey to examine QOL, health perceptions, and life stress among long term BCS. Subjects diagnosed between 1989 and 1990 were identified among respondents to a prior study who were originally recruited from the California Tumor Registry. This survey instrument included standard measures of QOL (e.g., the RAND SF-36 Health Perceptions Scale, the Cancer Rehabilitation and Evaluation Survey-Short Form [CARES-SF], and the Ladder of Life) and new items.

Results: Two hundred and seventy-eight women participated; 117 were African-American, and 161 were white. The initial univariate evaluation of the CARES-SF and the RAND SF-36 Health Perceptions Scale suggested potential ethnicity-related differences in QOL. To control for various medical and demographic characteristics and to examine the potential relation between ethnicity and QOL, multiple regression analyses were conducted. The final model accounted for 45% (R-square = 0.450) of the variance in QOL with general health perception, life stress, income, partnership status, and comorbid conditions included in the model.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that, overall, BCS report favorable health-related QOL. Differences in QOL outcomes are attributable to socioeconomic and life-burden factors and not to ethnicity.