In addition to supporting and educating young women affected by breast cancer, YSC is also focused on being the leading voice for young survivors. One of the ways YSC does that is by working with the research community. Two years ago, YSC created a Research Think Tank that brought together advocates, researchers and physicians to identify the most pressing research questions, which must be answered to improve the quality and length of life for the young women we serve. The work of the Research Think Tank resulted in the creation of a Research Agenda that focused on six topic areas: Metastasis; Treatment; Pregnancy and Fertility; Quality of Life and Survivorship and Risk Factors. You can read the full details in our Research Agenda.
As part of our focus on improving the lives of young survivors, YSC attends and presents at national conferences like the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), the premiere forum for the presentation of the latest breast cancer research news. As YSC’s Senior Program Manager for Research and Advocacy, I will be attending this year, along with RISE Legacy advocate Tracy Leduc. We will be posting videos to our YouTube channel from SABCS with news and information pertinent to young women with breast cancer.
Curious as to what was shared from the 2014 SABCS? View video updates from the 2014 SABCS here.
Interested in helping to move research on breast cancer in young women forward?
- Read YSC’s Research Agenda and publication on breast cancer in young women. Share it with your doctors and any researchers you know.
- Participate in clinical trials. It is one of the most meaningful actions we, as members of this community of young women diagnosed with breast cancer, can take to help each other. We need data to better understand breast cancer, and how to treat it, in young women.
- Review YSC’s position papers on controversial topics. As new research and guidelines are published, YSC carefully reviews the scientific data and develops a position or response to the findings. In October, the American Cancer Society published new screening guidelines, and YSC responded.
- Living with Metastatic Disease? You should check out the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project which connects metastatic breast cancer patients (and their tumor samples and medical records) directly to researchers to speed new discoveries. YSC is an advocacy partner on this project.
- Do you have a family history of breast cancer? If so, join the ABOUT network, a patient-powered research registry that focuses on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. YSC is also a partner on this project.
- Diagnosed while pregnant or have a child after breast cancer? You can participate in a confidential registry that tracks outcomes to determine safety.
Check our YouTube channel every day this week for updates and news from SABCS.
