ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5654

RTT - Patient experience and quality of life

ESTRO 2024

Purpose/Objective:

The Black Women Rising (BWR) cancer support project was set up in 2019 by Leanne Pero after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30. Leanne found through her experience that the NHS lacked cancer support services for BAME cancer patients and there was a stigma around cancer within the BAME community. Research identifies that Black women from Caribbean and African backgrounds are more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of cancer at later stages (3 or 4), when treatment is less likely to be successful (1). Cancer Research UK, found that women from an ethnic minority background were more likely to report they didn’t know any warning signs and symptoms of cancer compared to White women (23% vs 12%) (2). Black women are more likely to be dismissed for symptoms, pain from treatment, skin reactions and when suffering from psychological distress due to treatment (3-4). Black women are more likely to have their radiotherapy skin reactions missed due to skin assessment tools that are not inclusive of all skin tones (5,6). Gaining the experiences of BAME women with breast cancer is not easy given the cultural connotations surrounding a cancer diagnosis. BWR has created a community where women are able to share and express their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment (7).

Material/Methods:

BWR produced a ‘100 women survey’ to explore potential health inequalities experienced by BAME women with breast cancer. The survey was completed by BWR members in the UK in October 2022, shared via social media and email.

Results: