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Longwood grant to fund breast cancer quality-of-life study

January 21, 2017

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition announced the receipt of a $100,000 capacity-building grant from the Longwood Foundation to pursue a multi-year quality-of-life study, expansion of a database and a pilot project for a future study related to programing for underserved populations. The study will investigate the relationships among social support, education programs and other findings in enhancing adaptation to cancer, specifically in reducing cancer-related worry. It will be the agency's first scientific study in the field of research.

The purpose of the study is to learn how and to what extent the range of programming and activities offered by the coalition is having an impact on women and men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study utilizes a valid, reliable, widely used measure called "FACIT" which was adopted in 1997. The FACT-B (breast cancer) tool is a 37-item compilation of general questions divided into four categories: physical well-being, social/family well-being, emotional well-being and functional well-being. The coalition has been granted a license by FACIT to use the tool in both English and Spanish, and as a hard copy and online survey. The study has been approved by HumRRO Institutional Review Board, based in Virginia.

The questionnaire and data will be administered and evaluated  over a three-year time period by Barbara Goldberg and Associates LLC, a 35-year-old, Delaware-based consulting firm specializing in research and evaluation. The findings of this study will position the coalition to further its research on breast cancer programing in underserved populations. Also, research findings will be disseminated to larger audiences including conferences, op-ed pieces and publications. For more information, contact Cathy Holloway at 302-468-4814 or cholloway@debreastcancer.org or go to www.debreastcancer.org.

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