Keywords

Breast cancer, Cancer screening, Cervical cancer, Hispanic, Promotora

 

Authors

  1. Hansen, Lisa K. MS, RN
  2. Feigl, Polly PhD
  3. Modiano, Manuel R. MD
  4. Lopez, Jose A. MD
  5. Escobedo Sluder, Sylvia CCRP
  6. Moinpour, Carol M. PhD
  7. Pauler, Donna K. PhD
  8. Meyskens, Frank L. MD

Abstract

We conducted a community-based pilot study to train Hispanic cancer survivors as promotoras (lay health educators) to encourage their social contacts to obtain breast and cervical cancer screening. Promotoras were recruited from a private oncologist's practice at a Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MBCCOP). Five Hispanic women were trained to serve as promotoras by attending a 12-week course. They shared cancer screening information with family and social contacts and encouraged them to obtain Papanicolaou smears and/or mammograms. Study endpoints included the number of women recruited and trained to serve as promotoras, the number of contacts made per promotora, and the number of contacts who were screened; data were based on contact logs maintained for 1 year. Screening examinations were documented by a postcard returned by the contact or by review of community health clinic records. Five promotoras contacted 141 (range = 24-49 per promotora) women to share cancer screening information. Fifty Hispanic women obtained screening after contact with a promotora. Twenty-nine underwent mammography (ages 25-58) and 43 received a Papanicolaou smear (ages 23-62). Hispanic female cancer survivors can be trained as promotoras. Screening information conveyed by a promotora can successfully prompt Hispanic women to obtain mammography and Papanicolaou smears.