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“When I Needed It”: Evaluation of the Use and Timing of Sharsheret’s Thriving Again Program for Young Breast Cancer Survivors

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Abstract

Approximately 11% of all new breast cancer cases in the USA occur in women aged 45 years or younger. In 2011, CDC funded seven organizations to develop or enhance programs for young breast cancer survivors (YBCS). This paper analyzed program evaluation data collected by one of these organizations to gain a more nuanced understanding of how recipients used the newly developed program and resources for YBCS. Sharsheret’s Thriving Again program was evaluated through a web-based survey of survivorship program participants. The evaluation asked questions about participant demographics, use of the kit’s survivorship care plan (SCP), satisfaction with the timing of survivorship kit receipt, and factors related to survivors’ use of additional Sharsheret programs. We conducted bivariate analyses of survey responses and calculated chi-square statistics for significance testing. Of the 163 women who responded to the survey, 43% were diagnosed with breast cancer at or before age 45 and 69% were of Jewish descent. The majority of women who used the SCP found it helpful to facilitate cancer treatment (94%), follow-up (85%), or discussions with providers (91%). A total of 75% of women who received the SCP kit while either recently diagnosed or undergoing treatment were satisfied with the timing of receipt. Survey respondents found the Thriving Again program and survivorship kit beneficial and indicated timing preferences for when to receive resources and support. Supporting the self-efficacy of cancer survivors may improve survivors’ quality of life and is an important aspect of survivorship programs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge their coauthor and the founder of Sharsheret, Rochelle Shoretz, who died from complications of breast cancer on May 31, 2015. This article is dedicated to her memory for the passion and drive with which she created a community of support for Jewish women with breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS-F76, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Elizabeth A. Rohan & Julie S. Townsend

  2. Sharsheret, Inc., Teaneck, NJ, USA

    Adina Fleischmann, Sharon Stahl & Rochelle Shoretz

Authors
  1. Elizabeth A. Rohan
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  2. Julie S. Townsend
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  3. Adina Fleischmann
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  4. Sharon Stahl
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  5. Rochelle Shoretz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Rohan.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

The article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Secondary data for this evaluation study were derived from a previously fielded program evaluation survey. Original participant consent was assumed by response to the evaluation survey.

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The authors have no disclosures to report.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Rohan, E.A., Townsend, J.S., Fleischmann, A. et al. “When I Needed It”: Evaluation of the Use and Timing of Sharsheret’s Thriving Again Program for Young Breast Cancer Survivors. J Canc Educ 33, 976–982 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-017-1178-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-017-1178-7

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