Cancer Survivorship Research Among Ethnic Minority and Medically Underserved Groups

Purpose/Objectives: To review the current state of knowledge about the impact of cancer on ethnoculturally diverse and medically underserved survivors.

Data Sources: MEDLINE®, CancerLit, and Psychlit searches from 1966-present were conducted to locate articles about survivorship outcomes among minority and underserved populations.

Data Synthesis: 65 articles were identified and grouped into one of four content areas: physiologic; psychosocial; health services, patterns of care, and quality of care; and health-promoting behaviors and lifestyles.

Conclusions: Despite limited information, researchers found a consistent theme: the need to recognize and address the socioeconomic and cultural variables that affect adaptation to and survival from cancer among diverse groups of survivors.

Implications for Nursing: The researchers found specific variations in risk for, response to, and recovery from cancer that provide direction for changes in nursing practice that may reduce the burden of cancer in these often vulnerable populations.