Advertisement

Special Issues in Younger Women with Breast Cancer

Chapter
Part of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB, volume 862)

Abstract

Although women less than 50 years old make up less than 25 % of the patient population with breast cancer in industrialized countries, they have unique clinical and psychosocial issues that must be addressed as part of their oncology care to ensure the best health and psychosocial outcomes after treatment. Preserving fertility is a major issue for many younger women who have either not had children or would like to have additional children after treatment. Dealing with the disruption of a cancer diagnosis at a young age is challenging physically, socially and emotionally, and the health care system does not always address these patients’ concerns. Because younger women have the potential for a long life expectancy after cancer treatment, preventing and reducing the risk for late effects of cancer treatment is very important. We discuss these and a range of other issues throughout this chapter.

Keywords

Younger women Fertility Psychosocial distress Premature menopause Hereditary breast cancer 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Adams E, McCann L, Armes J, Richardson A, Stark D, Watson E, Hubbard G (2011) The experiences, needs and concerns of younger women with breast cancer: a meta-ethnography. Psychooncology 20:851–861PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Adler NE, Page AEK (2007) Cancer care for the whole patient: meeting psychosocial health needs. Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  3. Avis NE, Crawford S, Manuel J (2005) Quality of life among younger women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 23:3322–3330PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Avis NE, Levine B, Naughton MJ, Case DL, Naftalis E, Van Zee KJ (2012) Explaining age-related differences in depression following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Breast Cancer Res Treat 136:581–591PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Avis NE, Levine B, Naughton MJ, Case LD, Naftalis E, Van Zee KJ (2013) Age-related longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Breast Cancer Res Treat 139:199–206PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Azim HA Jr, Santoro L, Russell-Edu W, Pentheroudakis G, Pavlidis N, Peccatori FA (2012) Prognosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer: a meta-analysis of 30 studies. Cancer Treat Rev 38:834–842PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Azim HA Jr, Kroman N, Paesmans M, Gelber S, Rotmensz N, Ameye L, De Mattos-Arruda L, Pistilli B, Pinto A, Jensen MB, Cordoba O, de Azambuja E, Goldhirsch A, Piccart MJ, Peccatori FA (2013) Prognostic impact of pregnancy after breast cancer according to estrogen receptor status: a multicenter retrospective study. J Clin Oncol 31:73–79PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Baucom DH, Porter LS, Kirby JS, Gremore TM, Keefe FJ (2005) Psychosocial issues confronting young women with breast cancer. Breast Dis 23:103–113PubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Bower JE, Ganz PA, Desmond KA, Rowland JH, Meyerowitz BE, Belin TR (2000) Fatigue in breast cancer survivors: occurrence, correlates, and impact on quality of life. J Clin Oncol 18:743–753PubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. Boyle C C (2014). A lifespan approach to posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of California, Los AngelesGoogle Scholar
  11. Brinton LA, Sherman ME, Carreon JD, Anderson WF (2008) Recent trends in breast cancer among younger women in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst 100:1643PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Cimprich B, Ronis DL, Martinez-Ramos G (2002) Age at diagnosis and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Cancer Pract 10:85–93PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Cluze C, Rey D, Huiart L, Bendiane MK, Bouhnik AD, Berenger C, Carrieri MP, Giorgi R (2012) Adjuvant endocrine therapy with tamoxifen in young women with breast cancer: determinants of interruptions vary over time. Ann Oncol 23:882–890PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Corney R, Puthussery S, Swinglehurst J (2014) The stressors and vulnerabilities of young single childless women with breast cancer: a qualitative study. Eur J Oncol Nurs 18:17–22PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Desantis C, Ma J, Bryan L, Jemal A (2014) Breast cancer statistics, 2013. CA Cancer J Clin 64:52–62PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Dunn J, Steginga SK (2000) Young women’s experience of breast cancer: defining young and identifying concerns. Psychooncology 9:137–146PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Faller H, Schuler M, Richard M, Heckl U, Weis J, Kuffner R (2013) Effects of psycho-oncologic interventions on emotional distress and quality of life in adult patients with cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Oncol 31:782–793PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Fobair P, Stewart SL, Chang S, D’Onofrio C, Banks PJ, Bloom JR (2006) Body image and sexual problems in young women with breast cancer. Psychooncology 15:579–594PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Gabriel C, Domchek S (2010) Breast cancer in young women. Breast Cancer Res 12:212PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Ganz PA, Greendale GA, Petersen L, Kahn B, Bower JE (2003) Breast cancer in younger women: reproductive and late health effects of treatment. J Clin Oncol 21:4184–4193PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Ganz PA, Land SR, Geyer CE, Cecchini RS, Costantino JP, Pajon ER, Fehrenbacher L, Atkins JN, Polikoff JA, Vogel VG, Erban JK, Livingston RB, Perez EA, Mamounas EP, Wolmark N, Swain SM (2011) Menstrual history and quality-of-life outcomes in women with node-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant therapy on the NSABP B-30 trial. J Clin Oncol 29:1110–1116PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Groenvold M, Petersen MA, Idler E, Bjorner JB, Fayers PM, Mouridsen HT (2007) Psychological distress and fatigue predicted recurrence and survival in primary breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat 105:209–219PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Howard-Anderson J, Ganz PA, Bower JE, Stanton AL (2012) Quality of life, fertility concerns, and behavioral health outcomes in younger breast cancer survivors: a systematic review. J Natl Cancer Inst 104:386–405PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Institute of Medicine (2013) Delivering high-quality cancer care: charting a new course for a system in crisis. The National Academies Press, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  25. Johnson RH, Chien FL, Bleyer A (2013) Incidence of breast cancer with distant involvement among women in the United States, 1976 to 2009. JAMA 309:800–805PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Keegan T, DeRouen M, Press D, Kurian A, Clarke C (2012) Occurrence of breast cancer subtypes in adolescent and young adult women. Breast Cancer Res 14:R55PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Keegan TH, Press DJ, Tao L, DeRouen MC, Kurian AW, Clarke CA, Gomez SL (2013) Impact of breast cancer subtypes on 3-year survival among adolescent and young adult women. Breast Cancer Res 15:R95PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Koppelmans V, Breteler MMB, Boogerd W, Seynaeve C, Gundy C, Schagen SB (2012a) Neuropsychological performance in survivors of breast cancer more than 20 years after adjuvant chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol 30:1080–1086PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Koppelmans V, de Ruiter M, van der Lijn F, Boogerd W, Seynaeve C, van der Lugt A, Vrooman H, Niessen W, Breteler M, Schagen S (2012b) Global and focal brain volume in long-term breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat 132(3):1099–1106PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Koutrouli N, Anagnostopoulos F, Potamianos G (2012) Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth in breast cancer patients: a systematic review. Women Health 52:503–516PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Lebel S, Beattie S, Ares I, Bielajew C (2013) Young and worried: age and fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors. Health Psychol 32:695–705PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Lewis PE, Sheng M, Rhodes MM, Jackson KE, Schover LR (2012) Psychosocial concerns of young African American breast cancer survivors. J Psychosoc Oncol 30:168–184PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Litton JK, Warneke CL, Hahn KM, Palla SL, Kuerer HM, Perkins GH, Mittendorf EA, Barnett C, Gonzalez-Angulo AM, Hortobagyi GN, Theriault RL (2013) Case control study of women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer during pregnancy as compared with nonpregnant patients with breast cancer. Oncologist 18:369–376PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Mor V, Malin M, Allen S (1994) Age differences in the psychosocial problems encountered by breast cancer patients. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 16:191–197PubMedGoogle Scholar
  35. Moskowitz CS, Chou JF, Wolden SL, Bernstein JL, Malhotra J, Friedman DN, Mubdi NZ, Leisenring WM, Stovall M, Hammond S, Smith SA, Henderson TO, Boice JD, Hudson MM, Diller LR, Bhatia S, Kenney LB, Neglia JP, Begg CB, Robison LL, Oeffinger KC (2014) Breast cancer after chest radiation therapy for childhood cancer. J Clin Oncol 32(21):2217–2223PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Palesh OG, Roscoe JA, Mustian KM, Roth T, Savard J, Ancoli-Israel S, Heckler C, Purnell JQ, Janelsins MC, Morrow GR (2010) Prevalence, demographics, and psychological associations of sleep disruption in patients with cancer: university of Rochester cancer center-community clinical oncology program. J Clin Oncol 28:292–298PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Partridge AH, Gelber S, Peppercorn J, Sampson E, Knudsen K, Laufer M, Rosenberg R, Przypyszny M, Rein A, Winer EP (2004) Web-based survey of fertility issues in young women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 22:4174–4183PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Ruddy KJ, Gelber SI, Tamimi RM, Ginsburg ES, Schapira L, Come SE, Borges VF, Meyer ME, Partridge AH (2014) Prospective study of fertility concerns and preservation strategies in young women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 32:1151–1156PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Schnipper HH (2003) Life after breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 21:104s–107sPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Siegel R, Ma J, Zou Z, Jemal A (2014) Cancer statistics, 2014. CA Cancer J Clin 64:9–29PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Theriault RL, Litton JK (2013) Pregnancy during or after breast cancer diagnosis: what do we know and what do we need to know? J Clin Oncol 31:2521–2522PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Thewes B, Butow P, Girgis A, Pendlebury S (2004) The psychosocial needs of breast cancer survivors; a qualitative study of the shared and unique needs of younger versus older survivors. Psychooncology 13:177–189PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Tricoli JV, Seibel NL, Blair DG, Albritton K, Hayes-Lattin B (2011) Unique characteristics of adolescent and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, breast cancer, and colon cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 103:628–635PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Vinokur AD, Threatt BA, Vinokur-Kaplan D, Satariano WA (1990) The process of recovery from breast cancer for younger and older patients. Changes during the first year. Cancer 65:1242–1254PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Breast Cancer Research Foundation 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer CenterLos AngelesUSA
  2. 2.Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesUSA

Personalised recommendations

Cite chapter

Buy options