Acs Research - Theorylab

The stark and persistent disparity in breast cancer outcomes between black and white women is a public health dilemma that Vanessa Sheppard, PhD, has dedicated her career to addressing. Among the many reasons for this disparity is non-adherence to therapy, and in her new American Cancer Society-funded study, Dr. Sheppard has a plan to address that. In this interview, Dr. Sheppard describes Sisters Informing Sisters, the first communication skills intervention for newly diagnosed black breast cancer patients. Co-created with survivors, it has already shown great potential for improving equity in adherence to treatment in black women. Vanessa Sheppard, PhD, is Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Associate Director of Disparities Research, and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Massey Cancer Center. 2:55 – Important distinction between health equity and health disparities 5:45 – On the many contributing factors to the breast cancer disparities experienced by African Americ