Columbias Mailman School Tests New Breast Cancer Intervention Program For High-Risk African-American Women
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
New York, NY – October 2002 – 99 out of every 100,000 African-American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year—posing serious health consequences not just for the patients themselves, but also for their first-degree female relatives (mothers, sisters and daughters), whose risk of developing breast cancer nearly doubles with their loved one’s diagnosis. Complicating the situation is the fact that African-American first-degree relatives, possibly due to socioeconomic and cultural barriers, are far more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to remain in the dark about their increased risk for breast cancer—and far less likely to undergo screening or risk counseling. The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University is currently testing the use of a targeted interventional program to help rectify this problem in the communities of northern Manhattan (an area in which 25% of African-American women age 18-75 are either first- or second-degree relatives of breast cancer patients), the South Bronx, and Brooklyn. Under the guidance of a trained facilitator, program participants attend a two-hour educational session—accompanied by two close family members or friends—and take part in two follow-up telephone conferences. In turn, these women receive invaluable information about breast cancer risk, disease characteristics, and surveillance options—as well as the necessary counseling and support systems that enable them to make sound, informed choices about their own health care. (Childcare, refreshments, and other incentives for participation will also be provided.) To qualify for the study, applicants must be African-American women between the ages of 18-64 whose mother, sister, or daughter has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition, participants must not have received a past diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer, and must have two friends or relatives willing to participate in the initial educational session with them. Prospective participants can contact the study’s coordinators directly at 212-305-6361 for more information or to enroll.
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