The African Caribbean Immigrant Cancer Survivor Experience in the United States: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Abstract

Problem identification: Growing numbers of African Caribbean immigrants with cancer reside in the United States and frequently encounter different challenges than survivors born in the United States.

Literature search: More than a decade of research was searched in the PubMed®, Embase®, CINAHL®, and Scopus® databases using terms reflective of African Caribbean immigrant survivors in the United States.

Data evaluation: The initial search in this scoping review revealed 912 articles, with seven meeting inclusion criteria. Data extracted from articles included purpose/aims, design, sample/setting, methods, and results.

Synthesis: Five retrospective analyses, one case report, and one qualitative study comprised the final sample. Thematic analysis used to synthesize results revealed two themes: survival patterns and barriers.

Implications for research: The results indicated a need to identify and address root causes of disparity, and track the effectiveness of available treatments and outcomes by country of birth. Research capturing the experiences of African Caribbean immigrants would benefit from collaboration with community leaders and survivors. Oncology nurses play critical roles in leading research and developing culturally informed practices in clinical settings.

Keywords: African Caribbean; cancer survivor; immigrant; research; scoping review.