Rachel A. Freedman|Elena M. Kouri|Dee W. West|Nancy L. Keating
Racial/ethnic disparities in knowledge about one's breast cancer characteristics
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute|Harvard University|Public Health Institute|Harvard University|Brigham and Women's Hospital
background understanding tumor characteristics likely important little known breast cancer patients knowledge disease authors assessed womens knowledge tumor characteristics whether racialethnic disparities knowledge exist whether education health literacy influence associations methods populationbased cohort women northern california stage 0 iii breast cancers diagnosed 2010 2011 participation rate 685 surveyed among 500 respondents 222 nonhispanic white women 142 nonhispanic black women 136 hispanic women racialethnic differences knowledge tumor characteristics estrogen receptor er status human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 her2 status stage grade correctness tumor information california cancer registry data confirmation examined multivariate logistic regression used assess probability 1 knowing tumor stage receptor status grade 2 correctly answering questions tumor information raceethnicity impact education health literacy findings examined sequential models results overall 32 82 women reported knowing 4 tumor characteristics interest 20 58 correctly reported characteristics adjustment black hispanic women less likely white women know correct responses stage er status her2 status p lt05 education health literacy significantly associated knowing correct information characteristics variables eliminate racialethnic differences observed conclusions patients knowledge breast cancer generally poor particularly minority women study knowledge may impact receipt care outcomes warranted cancer 2015121724732 2014 american cancer society