Quality of cancer follow-up care: a focus on Latina breast cancer survivors

Introduction Receiving quality cancer follow-up care influences survivorship outcomes. Among Latinas, breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death; yet Latinas do not receive adequate follow-up care. This study examined quality of cancer follow-up care among Latina breast cancer survivors (BCS) and whether it differs by participant language and healthcare system variables (provider specialty, and medical setting). Methods Two hundred thirty-two (95 English-speaking Latina and 137 Spanish-speaking) Latina BCS were recruited from the California Cancer Registry, hospital cancer registries, and community agencies. Results English-speaking Latina BCS were more likely to report receiving cancer follow-up care at a doctor's office (p<0.001). BCS without a regular place for cancer follow-up care were more likely to report not seeing a primary care provider (p<0.05) or cancer specialist (p<0.001) in the past 12 months. English-speaking Latina BCS (p<0.001), BCS who saw a cancer specialist in the past 12 months (p<0.001), and received follow-up care at a doctor's office (p<0.05) reported higher quality of care. Speaking English, having seen a cancer specialist, and receiving follow-up care at a doctor's office were independently associated with higher quality of care, explaining 44 % of the variance. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that examining the influence of ethnic and linguistic factors on quality of cancer follow-up care is necessary to address health disparities. Improved access to cancer follow-up care for Spanish-speaking Latina BCS is of particular concern. Implication of Cancer Survivors Identifying follow-up care needs of Latina BCS may contribute to providing high-quality care and improved survivorship outcomes.