The deep systemic issues behind disparities in adherence to treatment in breast cancer
The stark and persistent disparity in breast cancer outcomes between black and white women is a public health dilemma that Vanessa Sheppard, PhD, has dedicated her career to addressing. \n\nAmong the many reasons for this disparity is non-adherence to therapy, and in her new American Cancer Society-funded study, Dr. Sheppard has a plan to address that.\n\nIn this interview, Dr. Sheppard describes Sisters Informing Sisters, the first communication skills intervention for newly diagnosed black breast cancer patients. Co-created with survivors, it has already shown great potential for improving equity in adherence to treatment in black women.\n\nVanessa Sheppard, PhD, is Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Associate Director of Disparities Research, and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Massey Cancer Center.\n\n2:55 \u2013 Important distinction between health equity and health disparities\n\n5:45 \u2013 On the many contributing factors to the breast cancer disparities experienced by African American women, including delays from diagnosis to treatment, treatment decisions, and their opportunities to make treatment decisions \n\n11:08 \u2013 On the importance of the patient-provider relationship and patient-centered communication: \u201cthe broader research has shown that providers communicate differently with patients based on age and race/ethnicity\u201d\n\n16:17 \u2013 On the first education intervention for newly diagnosed African American breast cancer patients, Sisters Informing Sisters, which she co-created with survivors\n\n22:07 \u2013 On her new American Cancer Society grant, which is funding the first large-scale trial to include culturally targeted adherence interventions for African American women with breast cancer: \u201cThis project is a project of my heart\u2026It\u2019s very personal in terms of the women that we\u2019ve engaged to develop this intervention.\u201d\n\n27:40 \u2013 A message she\u2019d like to share with cancer patients