Quality of Life in African-American or Caucasian Female Breast Cancer Survivors

RATIONALE: Studying quality of life in cancer survivors may help determine the long-term effects of breast cancer and may help improve the quality of life for future cancer survivors. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the quality of life in African-American or Caucasian female breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES: Compare disease-specific, generic, and global quality of life measures in African-American survivors of breast cancer with Caucasian survivors of breast cancer. Compare these quality of life measures in African-American survivors of breast cancer with control group of African-American women with no history of breast cancer. OUTLINE: Patients and healthy participants complete a battery of quality of life (QOL) questionnaires over approximately 65 minutes by mail or over the phone, including the Sexual Function Index, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Fatigue, Concerns About Recurrence Scale, and other measures of symptoms/side effects (including sleep problems), the RAND Physical Functioning -10 Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale, assessment of family function/social support, ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, Reed Spiritual Perspective Scale, assessments of coping and body image, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Index of Well-being. Demographic, disease, treatment, and comorbidity information, as well as menstrual and gynecological history, work status and insurance history, and a measure of health care provider communication is collected using questionnaires and medical chart review. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 195 patients and healthy participants will be accrued for this study.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivor, Depression, Fatigue, Sexual Dysfunction, Sleep Disorders, Spiritual Concerns

fatigue, depression, spiritual concerns, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, cancer survivor, stage IA breast cancer, stage IB breast cancer, stage II breast cancer, stage IIIA breast cancer, stage IIIB breast cancer, stage IIIC breast cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Meets 1 of the following criteria: African-American or Caucasian breast cancer survivor Diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer between the years of 1995-2003 Receiving follow up care at the Indiana University Cancer Center (IUCC), the IUCC Northside Clinic, Spring Mill Clinic, or Wishard Memorial Hospital Healthy African-American Acquaintance of an African-American breast cancer survivor Not known to have breast cancer PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Female PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: See Disease Characteristics