Latinas may regret cancer therapy option

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Some Latina women are more likely than white women to regret their breast cancer treatment decisions, U.S. researchers say.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center suggest a greater effort should be made to inform women who prefer speaking Spanish of their available breast cancer treatment options.

The study, published in the journal Patient Education and Counseling, finds Latina women who prefer speaking Spanish are more than five times more likely to be dissatisfied with or regretting their breast cancer treatment than white women.

"Even though the Latina women received similar amounts of information as whites, Latinas who prefer speaking Spanish reported a strong desire for more information," study lead author Sarah Hawley of the University of Michigan Medical School said in a statement.

"Doctors may need to make additional efforts to ensure this information is understandable and culturally appropriate for all ethnic groups to improve the decision making process for breast cancer patients."

The researchers asked 925 women with non-advanced breast cancer from the Los Angeles area about the decision making process in choosing their breast cancer treatment. Nearly one-half of the women surveyed were Latina, with a quarter preferring to speak Spanish.

The study also finds Spanish-speaking women are 3.5 times more likely than English-speaking Latinas to have difficulty understanding written information about breast cancer.