Abstract PS1-02-29: Sexual health communication preferences of women with metastatic breast cancer

Abstract Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and its therapies can cause a myriad of sexual problems, which often go unaddressed. There is limited information on how women with MBC would like to communicate the sexual problems that may arise from their ongoing cancer therapy. Methods: This qualitative study explored the perspectives on sexual health communication preferences of women with MBC. A medical anthropologist conducted semi-structured interviews with women diagnosed with MBC at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from September 2024 to May 2025 via Zoom, phone, or in-person meetings. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and inductively coded using Dedoose software to identify recurring themes and exemplary quotes. Results: Of 20 interviewed women aged 30-77, 11 (55%) were White and 9 (45%) were African American; 95% were heterosexual and 1 (5%) was bisexual; 10 (50%) were married or partnered and 10 (50%) were widowed, single, or divorced; and 90% were in menopause (natural or treatment-related). Six key themes emerged from interviews (Table). First, women with MBC emphasized normalizing the conversation about sexual problems in the clinical setting and permitting women to bring sexual problems to providers. “Being comfortable with the conversation and making it not seem like it's something that's taboo, that then can help patients feel more comfortable talking about something that they may feel is taboo to talk about with.” Second, they recommended self-review materials, such as flyers, pamphlets, or web pages, that include expected sexual consequences of their cancer treatments to improve their knowledge and set realistic expectations. “Yeah and would be much more comfortable just reading about it rather than asking about it. And then once they read about it and knew that yes, there was a lot of people had this problem, I think that they could then they could be more open to talking about it to the doctor.” They preferred receiving information close to diagnosis and intermittent check-ups afterward. “If the doctor brought it up early on, and then the doctor could ask maybe on the second or third visit.” Women differed in their preferences for patient-initiated versus provider-initiated conversations, suggesting the use of a brief survey to gauge comfort levels and tailor the approach accordingly. “I think do a little survey or something to see if they are interested.” There was no consensus on the preferred provider to discuss sexual problems. Notably, most women preferred not to include their spouses in the initial conversation. “I also think that it should be brought up maybe the first time when the partner is not present.” Conclusions: Women with MBC recommended normalizing the conversation about sexual problems with the availability of evidence-based self-review materials to be delivered close to diagnosis and intermittently afterward. Further work is needed to apply these recommendations in clinical settings. Citation Format: N. Jahan, E. Stringer-Reasor, T. Padalkar, K. Khoury, M. Escobar, C. P. Williams, I. Starks, H. Sarfraz, A. Falcao, N. Henderson, S. Olisakwe, K. Keene, A. Azuero, M. E. Melisko, E. H. Shinn, G. B. Rocque. Sexual health communication preferences of women with metastatic 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 PS1-02-29.