title: Perceptions of Primary Care Among Breast Cancer Survivors: The Effects of Weight Status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obese breast cancer survivors (BCSs) are impacted by diminished quality of life (QOL), multiple comorbid conditions, and poor disease outcomes. Despite national guidelines recommending a healthy weight to improve QOL and outcomes posttreatment, support and education are not routinely provided to BCSs in primary care. To fill this gap, we assessed perceptions of primary care received among BCSs by weight status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional surveys were administered to early-stage BCSs (N = 188) from 2 New Jersey cancer centers between May 2012 and July 2013. Sociodemographics, medical history, functional health status, perceived satisfaction with one's primary care provider (PCP), and PCP involvement in follow-up care were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 82% of overweight BCSs and 30% of obese BCSs reported not being told by their doctor that they were overweight or obese, despite these conditions being highly prevalent (35% and 35%, respectively). Obese BCSs were more likely than healthy weight BCSs to be African American, have a higher comorbidity score, poorer functional health, and greater satisfaction with their PCPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PCP-patient encounter may represent an opportunity for PCPs to correct misperceptions and promote weight reduction efforts among BCSs, thus improving QOL and disease outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education & Behavioral Science, School of Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ ; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education & Behavioral Science, School of Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ ; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ ; Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ.
authors.forename: Shawna V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: Psychosocial and Behavioral Medicine Program/Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center/Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ.
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bator
authors.affiliation: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ ; Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ ; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ.
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ohman-Strickland
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, NJ ; Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Somer
authors.affiliation: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ ; Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrante
keywords: breast cancer survivors; obesity; perceptions of care; primary care