ASPO Abstracts
Survivorship Care Plan Use, Preferences, and Barriers among Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Cancer is the leading cause in death among Asian American women, who are part of the fastest growing
racial or ethnic group in the United States. Those surviving cancer, like others, require follow-up for surveillance
and management of cancer and treatment sequelae. The survivorship care plan (SCP) is an individualized
document containing information on cancer diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and health promotion
recommendations. It is endorsed that every cancer survivor receive and be educated on the contents of the SCP.
This integrated review examines the extant literature to understand use, preferences, and barriers to delivery of
SCPs among Asian American women.
Methods: In May 2019, two independent reviewers searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing
and Allied Health Literature, and EMBASE for articles containing data related to Asian American women
diagnosed with breast or cervical cancers and survivorship care plans. The search yielded 416 unique titles and
abstracts that were reviewed. Forty-one received a full-text review, of which 10 were selected for inclusion and
quality appraisal.
Results: There was little evidence surrounding utilization of the SCPs among Asian American women. Articles
identified only addressed breast cancer survivorship, predominately using samples of Southeast Asian descent.
Asian American breast cancer survivors reported preferences surrounding their survivorship needs including
practicing culturally-sensitivity (e.g., language and communication styles), address of psychosocial needs along
with physical concerns, and integration of alternative/complementary therapies and spirituality into care. Barriers to
delivery of the SCP were low acculturation, socioeconomic status, and access to resources.
Conclusion: There is a paucity of information guiding evidence-based delivery of SCPs in the vastly
heterogeneous population of Asian American cancer survivors. More research is needed to examine the impact of
SCPs on cancer survivorship outcomes and to guide high-quality cancer survivorship care to these women.
Keywords: cancer survivorship, survivorship care plan, Asian Americans