Personal care product exposures and survivorship: the breast cancer survivors intervention protocol

Introduction Black breast cancer survivors are concerned about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in personal care products in the context of their quality of life (QOL) journey. Exposures to these chemicals have been associated with breast cancer risk, tumor grade, and size due to their estrogenic effects. However, current health behavior guidelines do not include interventions to reduce these exposures. The Breast Cancer Survivors Intervention (BCSI, Clinical Trials ID: NCT06885203) was developed to address Black women’s unique QOL needs related to identity, and an emerging environmental risk. Methods This study is a hybrid type 1 efficacy-implementation design using a waitlist control to determine the preliminary efficacy of the BCSI. BCSI is a 6-week peer-led QOL intervention that includes education on personal care product exposure reduction. The online synchronous intervention is supported by a learning management system (e.g., LearnWorlds), Clearya Survey—a mobile application data collection tool, 14-day product substitution, and longitudinal biospecimen collection. Eligible participants ( N = 40) are individuals who meet the following criteria: (1) adult woman aged 18 years and older; (2) histologically confirmed stage 0-III breast cancer; (3) no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic disease; (4) self-identify as Black; and (5) able to communicate in English. The main study outcomes include: QOL, health behavior, and exposure assessments. Implementation will be evaluated using a mixed methods approach, including fidelity, feasibility, acceptability, and actual fit at the participant, deliverer (peer leader), and organizational levels. Discussion BCSI is a peer-led QOL intervention for breast cancer survivors that includes education and behavioral strategies to reduce potentially harmful chemical exposures from personal care products. Findings from this study could support culturally responsive health behavior strategies that improve survivorship experiences while reducing exposure-related concerns among Black women. Clinical trials registration Clinical Trials ID: NCT06885203, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06885203?term=NCT06885203&rank=1 .