Associations with the Receipt of Colon Cancer Screening Among a Diverse Sample of Arab Americans in NYC.

Arab Americans (AA) face increased risk for colorectal cancer (CRC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the US, due to low utilization of preventative care and socioeconomic disparities. This study explores associations with the receipt of CRC screening among AA in New York City. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 individuals attending religious and community organizations with interviewer-administered surveys in Arabic and English. Results from 100 participants showed they were more likely to complete CRC screening with a doctor recommendation (74%) and were more likely to get a recommendation with a high school education or higher (86%). Uninsured participants and those with public insurance were the least likely to complete screening. Those with a higher mean score in Spiritual Life/Faith (13.34 vs. 11.67) were less likely to complete screening. Findings suggest the need for culturally sensitive interventions to increase CRC screening rates among AA.

An Investigation of Unmet Socio-Economic Needs Among Arab American Breast Cancer Patients Compared with Other Immigrant and Migrant Patients.

Although Arabs are a growing population in the United States, they are a hidden minority when compared to larger, more studied groups like Latinos and Caribbean immigrants of African descent (CIAD). There is limited research pertaining to patients' unmet socioeconomic and supportive care needs when undergoing breast cancer treatment, particularly among immigrants and migrants. This is a comparative study of a nested cohort of 36 Arabs, 145 Latinos and 128 CIAD breast cancer patients participating in the Integrated Cancer Care Access Network and their areas of needed assistance. The patients were recruited from eleven community cancer clinics in New York City and through community based organizations. Patients most commonly reported needing financial, transportation, and food assistance. Arabs were more likely than their CIAD and Latino counterparts to have health insurance and legal aid needs. Arabs also has the highest proportion of patients unaware of their own cancer stage, at odds with their report of lower information needs than the other groups. Additional culturally tailored Arabic language interventions are needed to educate Arabic speaking breast cancer patients to help facilitate access to available services.