Breast cancer education for Navajo women: a pilot study evaluating a culturally relevant video.

This pilot study evaluated a culturally specific video designed to teach Navajo women about breast cancer treatment options. Fourteen Navajo women diagnosed with breast cancer and 26 healthcare providers participated in a mixed-method evaluation that documented their perceptions immediately and 6 months after viewing the video. After initial viewing, women reported reduced anxiety about treatment and interest in support groups. Six months later, women said the video prompted them to seek more information from printed sources and their provider. Younger Navajo women who were 44 to 51 years old were more likely to attend support groups than women who were 55-67 years. Providers corroborated the positive effects of the video. The providers believed the video encouraged patients to seek information about breast cancer and to ask questions about treatment plans and side effects. A culturally relevant video for Navajo women can be an effective teaching tool and can enhance patient-provider communication.

Breast cancer education for Native American women: creating culturally relevant communications.

In the Navajo language, the word for cancer translates as the sore that does not heal. This literal linkage to a sense of hopelessness reflects a cultural perspective that impedes cancer detection in its early, more treatable stages. As a coauthor of this article and a Navajo breast cancer survivor, Nellie Sandoval, BS, MS, explains that the very topic of cancer is taboo to discuss among the Navajo population, for to speak of cancer is to invite it. When statistical data from the San Juan Regional Tumor Registry supported the authors' anecdotal findings regarding late diagnoses, they created Breast Cancer: It Can Be Healed. The first Navajo-language video to address such cultural barriers, it discusses the triad of early detection-breast self-examination, clinical examination, and mammography. Its success sparked creation of a second video, sponsored by the Native American Cancer Research Partnership (NACRP). The 12-minute video, Breast Cancer: The Healing Begins, focuses on treatment options, including surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. By conducting field screenings throughout the Navajo Nation, the NACRP team has enhanced the video's visual imagery and messages and has confirmed the value of cultural relevancy in cancer education.