Text Box 2.

Major Themes Elicited from the Focus Groups

Trust

• Lack of trust in the medical establishment

• Physicians have financial conflicts of interest

• Concern about being experimented upon

Race

• Minorities receive lower quality of care

• Concern about being harmed

• Preference for African-American physicians

Health insurance

• Quality of care is related to quality of health insurance

• Public health-care facilities are overburdened

• Lack of health insurance limits treatment opportunities

Effect of treatment on relationships

• How partner will cope

• Concern about separation or divorce

• Impact on sexuality

Negative perceptions of breast cancer treatment

• Surgery

• Radiation therapy

• Chemotherapy