Summary

Project CARE is a 5-year study funded by the National Cancer Institute conducted through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study was a randomized clinical trial comparing a cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention to an enhanced breast cancer education condition on psychosocial adjustment, endocrine and immune functioning among black breast cancer survivors. Both the CBSM and psychoeducation condition were adapted to be culturally sensitive to breast cancer survivors who self-identify as African American or black. Patients showed improvement in multiple indicators of psychosocial adaptation (fewer intrusive thoughts, lower anxiety, lower depressive symptoms and greater satisfaction with care). This study was completed in conjunction with Suzanne Lechner, Ph.D. and her research team at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute of the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center