Cancer on the Margins: Method and Meaning in Participatory Research

Cancer on the Margins presents the findings of the Ontario Breast Cancer Community Research Iniative, an organization created to investigate the experiences of women with breast cancer from marginalized and underrepresented groups. The authors examine the psychosocial needs of women living with breast cancer, while investigating differences in treatment, care, and survivorship amongst Aboriginal women, women of colour, francophone women, lesbians, as well as young women, lower-income women, and women in rural areas.

Structured as a guide for similar research, Cancer on the Margins provides a "start to finish" format that reveals the complexities of doing such work at each stage of research, beginning with the study design and ending with the dissemination of results. The authors address the challenges of working with and speaking for these groups of women, the tension between description and interpretation, and the challenge for qualitative work to present findings that positively influence the circumstances of research participants. With a strong commitment to social justice, this volume also shows how participatory research can lead to social change, and indicates effective ways to ensure that research not only reaches, but is also employed in, the communities it intends to serve.

Bridging the gap between a wide range of audiences, this vitally important work will be of interest to health professionals, new researchers, policy makers, new researchers, and experienced investigators, as well as the public.

Judy Gould is a research scientist at Women's College Research Institute. Jennifer Nelson is an independent research consultant and is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto. SUE KELLER-OLAMAN is an adjunct professor in the Department of Health, Aging and Society at McMaster University.