Seeking further knowledge
Is the poorer prognosis in young women a reflection of delays in diagnosis or differences in biology? Probably both, say Dana-Farber experts, but the research component of the new program will give them a chance to find out in a more scientific way. Treatment could then be tailored specifically for this group.
"We know less about how breast cancer behaves in younger women than in older women in part because there are fewer patients to study," says Dr. Partridge. "Although women of all ages participate in clinical trials, there are not enough young women to draw meaningful conclusions about them, and few studies have focused specifically on this population."
Social worker Jane Bausch, LICSW, understands the disruption cancer can cause in the lives of younger women like Cathy DeTerra, 30.
Research under the new Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer is designed to narrow this gap. Drs. Winer, Partridge, and other investigators are launching a study to identify breast cancer patients age 40 or younger in Eastern Massachusetts, and track over time their risk factors, cancer type, treatment, outcomes, psychosocial well-being, and rates of cancer recurrence. Investigators will collect tissue, blood serum, treatment information, and demographic data, which will be used to study the behavior of particular types of breast cancer, the effects of treatment (particularly on fertility), and the biology of cancer in young women. The study will also look at long-term medical issues, such as consequences of treatment and recurrence rates; and it will provide a rich opportunity for future collaboration with basic scientists and translational researchers, those who bring science from the bench to the bedside.
Investigators will also collect information about the psychosocial concerns of these women, such as fertility, menopause, and sexual functioning, and observe how these experiences affect quality of life, now and in the future.
"This study will expand our observations beyond Dana-Farber," explains Dr. Partridge. "Once we receive approval from the Institutional Review Board, we'll begin with women in Eastern Massachusetts through the Dana-Farber/Harvard Rapid Case Identification Core. We hope to garner additional funding to expand our studies in collaboration with other centers."
The program will also offer scientific awards to basic investigators at DFCI who focus their research on breast cancer in young women. These incentives are aimed at accelerating answers to many of the questions about the basic biology of this disease.
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