Cancer outcomes in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: An integrative review and conceptual model of determinants of health.

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanics. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of disease and experience poor quality of life following a cancer diagnosis. Cancer outcomes are influenced by a confluence of social, cultural, behavioral and biological factors. Yet, much of the behavioral and psychosocial research in oncology has focused on non-Hispanic Whites, thus limiting our understanding of the potential web of factors that can influence cancer-related outcomes among Hispanics. Furthermore, features of Hispanic ethnicity and culture may influence and interact with, social, psychosocial, health care, disease-specific, and medical factors known to influence cancer-related outcomes, yet very few studies have integrated Hispanic cultural processes when addressing cancer-related outcomes for this ethnic group. Guided by the extant literature in oncology, Hispanic culture and health, and previously established models of determinants of minority health, we present a conceptual model that highlights the interplay of social, cultural, psychosocial, disease-specific, health care, and medical factors as determinants of cancer outcomes (morbidity, mortality, quality of life) and review key evidence of how features of Hispanic culture may influence cancer outcomes and contribute to the disparate outcomes observed in Hispanic cancer samples relative to non-Hispanic Whites. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of future research opportunities and existing challenges to researching oncology outcomes among Hispanics.

Molecular Epidemiology of <b><i>ALK</i></b> Rearrangements in Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma in Latin America

“…Patel et al [36, 37] demonstrated that foreign-born Hispanic patients with lung cancer have better survival as compared with non-Hispanic White and US-born Hispanics, which is consistent with previous reports. This finding contrasts the fact that Hispanic patients with lung cancer are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of the disease (59 vs. 53%) and to have a more adverse socioeconomic condition than non-Hispanic Whites [38]. Additionally, it has been suggested that US dietary lifestyles and social factors do not fully explain the survival advantage or this Hispanic paradox [37].…”

Cancer Worry Among Urban Dominican Women: A Qualitative Study

“…Their culture also influences the knowledge, objective or subjective, that guides their worry about cancer and related health care decisions. The centrality of these essences is consistent with a model by Yanez et al (2006). Their model posits interrelationships between cultural context (e.g., cultural values, such as Destiny and Faith), psychosocial factors (such as Knowledge and Screening Behavior), health care factors (e.g., patient–provider communication, an aspect of the Influential Relationship between patient and doctor), all of which contribute to cancer outcomes.…”

“…Although these women emphasized the positive impact of their doctor–patient relationship, the effect of cultural factors in the doctor–patient relationship has been shown to have both positive and negative impacts on the care they receive (Gallo et al, 2009; Yanez, McGinty, Buitrago, Ramirez, & Penedo, 2006). …”

Ethnic differences in psychosocial service use among non-Latina white and Latina breast cancer survivors

“…The study identifies critical factors from ethnicity, education, language and literacy that may constitute to health disparities and discrepancies in survivors’ overall satisfaction. The findings suggest the need for more culturally contextual research in the area of psychosocial services use in order to break disparities in the area of psychosocial services (Yanez et al 2016). …”

“…Our findings are consistent with previous studies that concluded Latinos endorse a greater interest in religious/spiritual counseling in the cancer context than their non-Latina White counterparts. (Yanez et al 2016, Yanez, Stanton, and Maly 2012, Hunter-Hernandez, Costas-Muniz, and Gany 2015, Jurkowski, Kurlanska, and Ramos 2010). It has been demonstrated that religion can promote the use of health services in Latino religious communities (Leyva et al 2014), and parishes have expressed their support to provide cancer care to their communities (Allen et al 2014).…”