Abstract PS1-03-09: Symptoms, survivorship concerns, and alleviation methods among young adults newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer

Abstract Background: Many adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with early-stage breast cancer experience acute and chronic symptoms and survivorship concerns. Approaches used by AYAs to alleviate unmanaged symptoms and concerns and their perceived effectiveness remain poorly understood. This study qualitatively explored patient-reported symptoms, survivorship concerns, and alleviation methods reported by female AYAs newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer enrolled in a supportive care intervention study. Methods: Women (aged 18-39) newly diagnosed (3 months) with early-stage (0-III) breast cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who were enrolled in Young, Empowered, and Strong (NCT04379414), a study testing a web and app-based supportive care intervention, were invited to participate in a virtual semi-structured qualitative interview. The interview guide was developed to explore experiences with management of symptoms and survivorship concerns. Areas of inquiry included burdensome symptoms and concerns, and challenges managing them. Transcripts were thematically analyzed. Results: AYAs (N=20) were, on average, 35 years at diagnosis (range: 33-39) and 1 year from diagnosis at interview (range: 0.65-1.77); most were non-Hispanic white (75%), partnered (80%), had stage I (40%) or II (40%) disease. Symptoms: Physical symptoms were the most frequently reported symptoms (e.g., menopausal symptoms, fatigue, nausea, pain, concentration/memory) by AYAs. For example, regarding pain, one AYA stated, “The mastectomy, the dissection, combined with the radiation side effects. I still experience a lot of pain in that area.” Methods to alleviate symptoms: Various methods were effective at alleviating (e.g., oncologist support, time) or somewhat alleviating (e.g., cold/heat therapy, medical marijuana) symptoms. Several methods, including diet, exercise, medication, and physical therapy, were effective for some but ineffective for others. For example, regarding exercise, one AYA shared, “Walking helps with the fatigue, and it helps with your sleep during the night,” while another shared, “For the exhaustion and fatigue, I haven't found anything. I try everything they recommend…I tried riding a bike to exercise and that made my cording worse.” Survivorship concerns: Concerns spanned psychosocial (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, fear of long-term treatment or recurrence, financial toxicity, fertility, sexual health), and clinical (e.g., transition from treatment to survivorship) domains. Methods to alleviate survivorship concerns: Various methods were effective at alleviating (e.g., religion/spirituality, medical marijuana) or somewhat alleviating (e.g., journaling, online research) concerns. Other methods were identified as ineffective (e.g., staying busy). Several methods, including therapy, medication, positivity/advocacy, and social support, were effective for some but ineffective for others. For example, regarding attending support groups for social support, one AYA shared, “I'm going to a seminar…I don't have anyone to talk about sex and relationships with, so I don't think anyone would understand except cancer patients,” while another shared, “I joined a program thinking it would help to talk to other people, and I haven't gone because I feel like I would actually feel worse if I were to hear other stories right now.” Conclusion: Female AYAs newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who are receiving a supportive care intervention continue to report symptoms and survivorship concerns. AYAs use multiple methods to manage symptoms and concerns that vary in effectiveness, highlighting the need for diverse methods tailored to evolving patient needs alongside personalized survivorship care delivery to improve patient quality of life. Citation Format: J. Stal, K. E. Dibble, S. M. Rosenberg, C. Snow, A. H. Partridge. Symptoms, survivorship concerns, and alleviation methods among young adults newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer abstract. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS1-03-09.