In a new study published today in ecancermedicalscience, Francisco Acevedo and colleagues surveyed Chilean breast cancer patients who had previously received adjuvant chemotherapy.

Choosing adjuvant chemotherapy can be a particularly difficult decision for patients, with potential side effects, inconveniences and other costs weighed against survival benefit. The decisions may be informed by the patients’ cultural backgrounds  and their understanding of risk evaluation and survival benefit.

Previous studies have focused  on Caucasian populations; this is the first published study that assesses the perceptions of Latino patients regarding adjuvant chemotherapy and breast cancer.  Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Chilean women, and studies in the United States have indicated that Hispanic breast cancer patients have lower survival rates.

Acevedo and his colleagues found that Chilean breast cancer patients seem to understand the concept of survival benefit and need only a small survival benefit to accept adjuvant chemotherapy.

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