Partridge, Ann H

AbstractObjectiveYoung breast cancer patients experience greater psychosocial distress compared with older patients, which raises concern for their risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We sought to characterize the prevalence of clinically significant symptoms of PTSD and associated factors among breast cancer survivors diagnosed at a young age.MethodsThe Young Women's Breast Cancer Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study, enrolled 1302 women diagnosed with breast cancer at age ≤ 40 between 2006 and 2016. Participants complete serial surveys, and we obtained additional information from medical record review. Socio‐demographics, anxiety and depression, social support, and psychiatric co‐morbidities and medications were assessed at study baseline (median, 5 months post‐diagnosis). We defined a participant as having clinically significant posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) by scoring ≥50 on the PTSD Checklist‐Specific Version, administered on the 30‐month survey.ResultsAmong 700 women with stage 1‐3 disease, the prevalence of PTSS was 6.3% (95%CI = 4.5‐8.1). In multivariable analyses, PTSS was significantly associated with anxiety (OR 12.43, 95%CI = 5.81‐26.59, P < .0001) and stage 2 vs 1 disease (OR 2.26, 95%CI = 1.04‐4.93, P = .04). PTSS was inversely associated with having a college degree (OR 0.29, 95%CI = 0.13‐0.62, P = .002) and greater social support (OR 0.44, 95%CI = 0.21‐0.94, P = .03).ConclusionsWe found similar rates of cancer‐related PTSS in breast cancer survivors diagnosed at a young age compared with the general breast cancer population despite their well‐documented increased risk of overall distress. Nevertheless, factors associated with posttraumatic stress should be considered at diagnosis and in survivorship to identify young patients who may benefit from psychosocial resources.

Background Young age is a known factor associated with suboptimal adherence to endocrine therapy (ET) for adjuvant breast cancer (BC) treatment. This study was aimed at assessing nonadherent behaviors and associated factors among young women with early‐stage hormone receptor–positive BC. Methods As part of a multicenter, prospective cohort of women with a diagnosis of BC at or under the age of 40 years, participants were surveyed 30 months after their diagnosis about adherent behaviors. Among those who reported taking ET, adherence was measured with a 3‐item Likert‐type scale: Do you ever forget to take your ET? If you feel worse when you take your ET, do you stop taking it? Did you take your ET exactly as directed by your doctor over the last 3 months? Women reporting at least 1 nonadherent behavior were classified as nonadherers. Variables with a P value <.20 were included in a multivariable logistic model. Results Among 384 women, 194 (51%) were classified as nonadherers. Univariate factors that retained significance in the multivariable model included educational level (odds ratio [OR], 0.50 for high vs low; P = .04), level of social support according to the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (OR, 0.98 per 1 point; P = .01), and confidence with the decision regarding ET measured on a 0 to 10 numerical scale (OR, 0.63 for high vs low; P = .04). Conclusions Findings from this study could help to identify young patients at higher risk for nonadherence. Interventions adapted to the level of education and aimed at reinforcing support and patients' confidence in their decision to take ET could improve adherence and associated outcomes in this population.

AbstractObjectivesTo identify and characterize distinct trajectories of change in young women's sexual functioning over the first 5 years following breast cancer diagnosis.MethodsGroup‐based trajectory modeling was applied to the sexual functioning of 896 women diagnosed with stage I‐IV breast cancer at age 40 or younger. The Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System was used to evaluate women's symptoms of sexual dysfunction annually for 5 years.ResultsFive distinct trajectories of sexual functioning were identified: one asymptomatic, one minimally symptomatic, two moderately symptomatic, and one severely symptomatic trajectory. Twelve percent of women were asymptomatic throughout follow‐up. The plurality of women experienced stable mild symptoms (42%). Among those with moderate symptoms, some experienced improvement over time (22%) while others experienced deterioration (13%); 11% experienced stable severe symptoms that did not remit over time. Independent predictors of experiencing a symptomatic rather than asymptomatic trajectory (P < 0.05, two‐sided) included diagnosis with stage 2 versus 1 disease, ER positive disease treated with oophorectomy or ovarian suppression, being partnered, having anxiety, poorer body image, and greater musculoskeletal pain.ConclusionsWe identified distinct trajectories that describe the reported sexual symptoms in this cohort of young breast cancer survivors. The majority of women reported various degrees of sexual dysfunction that remained stable over the study period. There is, however, potential for improvement of moderate and severe symptoms of sexual dysfunction in early survivorship.

Background The authors conducted a cluster randomized study to determine the effect of an exportable educational intervention for young women with breast cancer (YWI) on improving care. Methods Sites were randomized 1:1 to the YWI or a contact time control physical activity intervention (PAI) stratified by academic or community site. Up to 15 women aged ≤45 years with newly diagnosed breast cancer were enrolled at each of 14 academic sites and 10 were enrolled at each of 40 community sites. The primary endpoint, attention to fertility, was ascertained by medical record review. Statistical inferences concerning the effect of the intervention used general estimating equations for clustered data. Results A total of 467 patients across 54 sites were enrolled between July 2012 and December 2013. The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 40 years (range, 22‐45 years). Attention to fertility by 3 months was observed in 55% of patients in the YWI and 58% of patients in the PAI ( P = .88). Rates were found to be strongly correlated with age ( P < .0001), and were highest in patients aged <30 years. Attention to genetics was similar (80% in the YWI and 81% in the PAI), whereas attention to emotional health was higher in patients in the YWI (87% vs 76%; estimated odds ratio, 2.63 [95% confidence interval, 1.20‐5.76; P = .016]). Patients rated both interventions as valuable in providing education (64% in the YWI and 63% in the PAI). Conclusions The current study failed to demonstrate differences in attention to fertility with an intervention to improve care for women with breast cancer, although attention to fertility was found to be higher than expected in both groups and emotional health was improved in the YWI group. Greater attention to young women with breast cancer in general may promote more comprehensive care for this population.