Come, Steven E.

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.

10065 Background: Prospective data regarding fertility and pregnancy after breast cancer are limited. Many young survivors are interested future fertility, but pregnancy rates among women attempting and not attempting pregnancy have not been studied prospectively. Methods: As part of a multicenter cohort study, women diagnosed age ≤40 with stage 0-3 breast cancer are surveyed at baseline then annually regarding fertility interest, attempts, and pregnancies. Chi-square tests were used to compare proportions attempting and achieving pregnancy. Results: At least once in the 5 years (yrs) after Dx, 334/959 (35%) women reported interest in future biologic children. The percent interested was stable in the first 3 yrs then declined: 256 (27%, baseline), 244 (27%, 1 year), 209 (25%, 2 yrs), 176 (25%, 3 yrs), 106 (18%, 4 yrs), and 72 (16%, 5 yrs). Pregnancy was attempted by 104/334 (31%) of women who reported interest and 4/625 (1%) who did not. Pregnancy occurred in 118 women (12%), including 76/108 (70%) who attempted and 42/851 (5%) who did not. Attempts and achieving pregnancy were associated with younger age, partnered status, and not having children prior to Dx (table). Lower stage was associated with attempting pregnancy and ER negative disease with achieving pregnancy. Conclusions: A substantial number of young women become pregnant in the 5 years after a breast cancer diagnosis. Given that over 1/3 of pregnancies were among women who did not report attempting, additional attention to contraception counseling should be considered. Further evaluation of assisted reproductive technology use, pregnancy and disease outcomes in this cohort, and the POSITIVE Trial (NCT02308085) will shed light on the feasibility and safety of pregnancy after breast cancer. [Table: see text]

531 Background: The greatest age disparity in early stage breast cancer (BC) outcomes is in young women with hormone receptor positive (HR+) BC. While differences in biology may play a role, understanding the role of non-persistence (early discontinuation) with endocrine therapy (ET) is critical given the demonstrated efficacy of ET in this population. Methods: As part of a prospective cohort that enrolled women with BC diagnosed (dx) at age ≤40 between 2006-2016, we identified women with HR+, Stage I-III BC. Socio-demographic and treatment information, fertility concerns and confidence with the ET treatment decision were assessed by survey within 1 yr of dx. Medical record review was used to ascertain stage and HR status. Women who initiated ET but did not report taking tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor at 3 yrs post-diagnosis (or last follow-up if <3 yrs) were classified as non-persistent. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables between persisters and non-persisters and stepwise multivariable regression to evaluate predictors of non-persistence. Results: In 538 women who initiated ET, median age at dx was 36; 10% were non-persistent. Discontinuation of ET was more likely in those who were less confident with their ET decision compared to those who were more confident (25/179, 14% vs 18/263, 7%, p=0.01). A greater proportion of women concerned about fertility discontinued vs. women not concerned (29/213,14% vs 25/319, 8%, p=0.03), and fertility concerns were associated with non-persistence in multi-variable analyses (OR: 1.85, 95% CI 1.05-3.26, p=0.03). Age at dx, race, education, employment, financial comfort, marital status, parity, stage, chemotherapy and local therapy were not associated with non-persistence. Conclusions: A significant minority of women with HR+ BC discontinued ET within 3 yrs. The association between fertility concerns expressed soon after dx and non-persistence underscores a need to address psychosocial issues that can impact treatment decisions in young women. Strategies to reduce decisional conflict and increasing confidence with the choice to take ET, may influence persistence. Future work will evaluate the contribution of other factors (eg symptom burden) to non-persistence.

526 Background: Young age at diagnosis (dx) is a predictor of worse prognosis in patients (pts) with luminal breast cancer (BC). Poorer adherence to endocrine therapy (ET) among younger women may contribute to this disparity. Aim: To assess non-adherent behaviors and associated factors among young women with stage 1-3 hormone receptor (HR)+ BC taking ET. Methods: This study is a part of a multi-center, prospective cohort of pts with dx of BC at or under age 40. On a survey 30 months after dx, among pts reporting taking ET, adherence was measured using 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?). Pts reporting any non-adherent behavior during the last 3 months were classified as non-adherers. Variables with a p-value <0.20 were included in a multivariate logistic model. Results: Among361 pts eligible for this analysis, 174 (48%) reported some non-adherent behaviors in the last 3 months; 56 (16%) moderate or greater non-adherent behaviors. None of the studied variables was associated with non-adherent behaviors (table). Conclusions: Non-adherent behaviors to ET are present in almost half of the young women with HR+ BC. Further analyses of explanatory factors and impact of non-adherence are required to understand and potentially improve this problem. [Table: see text]

184 Background: While evidence of the challenges of cancer caregiving has been growing, scant research addresses the experience of partners of young adults with cancer. These individuals and their relationships may be particularly vulnerable to stress, especially when managing the complexity of cancer care and survivorship with their partner. We sought to evaluate psychosocial concerns and mental health in the partners of young survivors of early stage breast cancer (BC). Methods: We invited partners of young women w/BC diagnosed at age ≤ 40 yrs enrolled in a prospective cohort study to participate in a one-time survey evaluating psychosocial concerns including quality of life, coping, social support, financial insecurity, partnership concerns, parenting concerns, anxiety and depression. Logistic regression was used to explore predictors of anxiety (score > 8 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)). Results: Most respondents (284/289) were male, with median age 43 yrs (range 27-65). The median time of survey completion was 62 months (range 16 -114) after their partner’s dx. Respondents were mostly white (93%), working full time (94%), and college educated (78%); 29% reported some financial stress, 74% were parenting children < 18 yrs, and 32% reported at least a fair amount of relationship concern. 42% (106/250) had anxiety (39/289 respondents (13%) had incomplete/missing HADS). In univariable analyses, lower education, working full time, parenting concerns, insufficient social support and maladaptive coping were associated (p < .05) with anxiety. In the multivariable model, only maladaptive coping remained significantly associated with anxiety (p < .01, OR = 2.32 (95% CI: 1.22, 4.39)). Conclusions: Partners of young BC survivors who used less constructive/more maladaptive coping strategies experience negative mental health outcomes after tx has ended. Caregivers’ anxiety may have implications for both their own and survivors’ health and QOL. Future interventions might focus on the development of constructive coping strategies to enhance adjustment and role effectiveness in dealing with the impact of cancer.

Abstract Background: Despite the well-established survival benefit associated with adjuvant hormonal treatment, younger women with hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) are less adherent to endocrine therapy (ET) as prescribed, compared to their older counterparts, and may have unique issues that contribute to ET non-adherence. In an effort to identify factors that can be targeted to improve ET uptake and adherence, we sought to evaluate ET initiation in young women with BC. Methods: As part of a multi-center, prospective cohort enrolling women with newly diagnosed BC at age ≤40 years between 2006-2016, we identified 657 women with HR+, Stage 0-III BC. Participants complete serial surveys that included questions about socio-demographics, fertility concerns, and treatment. Women who did not report taking tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor (AI) at least once in the 18 months after diagnosis (dx) were classified as non-initiators. Variables significant at p&lt;0.20 in univariable models were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to identify independent (p&lt;0.05) predictors of non-initiation. Results: By 18 months post-dx, 15% (99/657) had not initiated ET; among women with Stage 0 BC, 77% (51/66) had not initiated vs 8% (48/591) with invasive BC (p&lt;0.0001). Among initiators (N=558), 93% were on tamoxifen, with 7% reporting AI alone or in addition to tamoxifen; 97% started ET within 12 months of dx. Among women with invasive BC (Table), non-initiation was associated with having less than a college degree (OR: 2.49 95% CI: 1.25-4.94), non-Caucasian race (OR: 2.58 95% CI: 1.18-5.64) and non-receipt of radiation (OR: 0.40 95% CI: 0.21-0.75).Age at dx, marital status, having children, employment, perceived financial comfort, fertility concern, stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were not significantly associated with non-initiation. Conclusion: Most young women with HR+ DCIS do not take adjuvant ET despite the potential benefits (substantially reduced risk of local recurrence and contralateral BC) and very low risk of serious toxicity. Among young women with invasive HR+ BC, a significant minority fails to start ET within 18 months of dx. Adjuvant ET non-initiation may contribute in part to the racial and SES outcomes disparities that have been observed. Further study is needed to elucidate barriers to initiation with the goal of developing targeted interventions that will enhance ET initiation and adherence in general. Table. Predictors of ET non-initiation in women with invasive BC (N=577*) Univariable Multivariable Median (range)OR (95% CI)pOR (95% CI)ppAge at dx (years)36 (17-40)1.08 (0.99-1.18)0.07 N (%) Financial comfort300 (51)0.88 (0.49-1.60)0.68 Non-white59 (10)2.68 (1.25-5.71)0.012.58 (1.18-5.64)0.02Full employment282 (48)0.76 (0.42-1.39)0.38 Less than college graduate95 (16)2.61 (1.36-5.02)0.0042.49 (1.25-4.94)0.009Married/living as married452 (77)0.79 (0.41-1.55)0.50 Children pre-diagnosis369 (62)1.11 (0.60-2.05)0.75 Fertility concern234 (40)0.92 (0.50-1.70)0.80 Stage (ref=3) 1244 (41)1.22 (0.47-3.15)0.68 2259 (44)1.27 (0.50-3.24)0.62 Mastectomy vs lumpectomy335 (57)1.16 (0.64-2.12)0.63 Radiation therapy331 (56)0.40 (0.21-0.73)0.0030.40 (0.21-0.75)0.004Chemotherapy411 (70)0.66 (0.36-1.22)0.18 *multivariable analytic cohort Citation Format: Rosenberg SM, Gelber S, Ruddy KJ, Tamimi RM, Schapira L, Borges VF, Come S, Meyer ME, Partridge AH. Drugs don't work if people don't take them: Non-initiation of endocrine therapy in young women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-09-07.