title: Quality of cancer follow-up care: a focus on Latina breast cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Receiving quality cancer follow-up care influences survivorship outcomes. Among Latinas, breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death; yet Latinas do not receive adequate follow-up care. This study examined quality of cancer follow-up care among Latina breast cancer survivors (BCS) and whether it differs by participant language and healthcare system variables (provider specialty, and medical setting).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred thirty-two (95 English-speaking Latina and 137 Spanish-speaking) Latina BCS were recruited from the California Cancer Registry, hospital cancer registries, and community agencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  English-speaking Latina BCS were more likely to report receiving cancer follow-up care at a doctor's office (p < 0.001). BCS without a regular place for cancer follow-up care were more likely to report not seeing a primary care provider (p < 0.05) or cancer specialist (p < 0.001) in the past 12 months. English-speaking Latina BCS (p < 0.001), BCS who saw a cancer specialist in the past 12 months (p < 0.001), and received follow-up care at a doctor's office (p < 0.05) reported higher quality of care. Speaking English, having seen a cancer specialist, and receiving follow-up care at a doctor's office were independently associated with higher quality of care, explaining 44 % of the variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study findings suggest that examining the influence of ethnic and linguistic factors on quality of cancer follow-up care is necessary to address health disparities. Improved access to cancer follow-up care for Spanish-speaking Latina BCS is of particular concern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying follow-up care needs of Latina BCS may contribute to providing high-quality care and improved survivorship outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education (CCARE), Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA, 91010-3000, USA, monicasrosales@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosales
authors.forename: Kimlin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashing
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napoles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D017741:Survivors