Lathan Christopher S, Waldman Laura Tesler, Browning Emily, Gagne Joshua, Emmons Karen
McGraw/Patterson Center for Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
McGraw/Patterson Center for Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Oncologist. 2015 Apr;20(4):393-9. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2014-0399. Epub 2015 Mar 20.
Disparities in incidence and mortality for lung cancer in African Americans are well documented; however, the extent to which disparities reflect differences in patient perceptions of tobacco and lung cancer treatment is unclear. The objective of this study was to explore African Americans' knowledge of lung cancer, perceived risk, interest in smoking cessation, attitudes toward lung cancer treatment, and lung cancer diagnosis and treatment experiences.
The cohort comprised 32 African-American current and former smokers without a cancer diagnosis who participated in focus groups and 10 African Americans with lung cancer who participated in in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach.
Participants without a cancer diagnosis were aware of the link between smoking and lung cancer, the common symptoms of the disease, and its poor prognosis. They desired specific, personalized smoking-cessation information. If diagnosed, the majority reported, they would seek medical care. Most believed that insurance and socioeconomic factors were more likely to affect treatment access than racial discrimination. Participants with a cancer diagnosis were also aware of the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. They felt their treatment plans were appropriate and trusted their physicians. Most did not believe that race affected their care.
This qualitative study suggests that African-American smokers are aware of the relationship between smoking and lung cancer and are interested in smoking-cessation treatment. These data also indicate that lung cancer disparities are unlikely to be associated with differential willingness to receive care but that African Americans may perceive financial and insurance barriers to lung cancer treatment.
非裔美国人肺癌发病率和死亡率的差异有充分记录；然而，这些差异在多大程度上反映了患者对烟草和肺癌治疗认知的不同尚不清楚。本研究的目的是探讨非裔美国人对肺癌的了解、感知风险、戒烟意愿、对肺癌治疗的态度以及肺癌诊断和治疗经历。
该队列包括32名未被诊断患有癌症的非裔美国现吸烟者和 former smokers，他们参加了焦点小组，以及10名患有肺癌的非裔美国人，他们参加了深入访谈。使用改良的扎根理论方法对访谈记录进行分析。
未被诊断患有癌症的参与者了解吸烟与肺癌之间的联系、该疾病的常见症状及其不良预后。他们渴望获得具体的、个性化的戒烟信息。大多数人表示，如果被诊断出患有肺癌，他们会寻求医疗护理。大多数人认为，保险和社会经济因素比种族歧视更有可能影响治疗机会。被诊断患有癌症的参与者也了解吸烟与肺癌之间的关系。他们觉得自己的治疗方案是合适的，并信任他们的医生。大多数人不认为种族会影响他们的治疗。
这项定性研究表明，非裔美国吸烟者了解吸烟与肺癌之间的关系，并对戒烟治疗感兴趣。这些数据还表明，肺癌差异不太可能与接受治疗的不同意愿相关，但非裔美国人可能认为肺癌治疗存在经济和保险障碍。
