News
Research highlights challenges faced by young women with advanced breast cancer
Nearly half of women under 40 with advanced breast cancer have children under 18, with many facing job disruption and financial strain, new research has found.
A global survey has revealed the challenges faced by young women with advanced breast cancer, with 64 per cent reporting employment disruption after diagnosis and 40 per cent incurring medical debt.
Findings from 385 women under 40 living with advanced breast cancer across 67 countries were presented at the Advanced Breast Cancer Eighth International Consensus Conference (ABC8) in Lisbon.
The Project 528 survey was led by the Young Survival Coalition.
Advanced breast cancer (ABC) occurs when the disease spreads beyond the original tumour to other parts of the body. While treatments can slow progression, it remains incurable.
Financial security fell from 51 per cent before diagnosis to just 3 per cent after treatment began.
Although 84 per cent said they felt able to ask questions at diagnosis, 40 per cent delayed seeking care – often because primary care physicians dismissed their concerns, or due to lack of awareness or fear.
Jennifer Merschdorf, chief executive officer of Young Survival Coalition, said: “We launched Project 528 to fill a critical gap – the voices of young adults living with advanced breast cancer are often under-represented in clinical discussions and policy dialogues.
“For the first time, we now have global data that reflect the voices of young women with advanced breast cancer.
“This survey gives us the evidence we need to understand their unique challenges and to ensure that research, services and policies are shaped by their lived experiences – not by assumptions.”
Of the 385 women surveyed, 48 per cent had children under 18. Only 14 per cent were diagnosed through clinical screening or routine check-ups, while 85 per cent detected the disease themselves after noticing symptoms.
Eighty per cent reported psychological distress. Concerns about body image, fertility and sexual health were widespread but rarely addressed.
Practical challenges such as childcare, housekeeping and transport were common, leaving many with unmet needs.
Access to precision diagnostics varied.
While 90 per cent received genetic testing for inherited mutations – changes in DNA passed down from parents – only 59 per cent had genomic testing of tumours.
This identifies mutations within the cancer itself, helping doctors understand tumour activity and recurrence risk to guide treatment.
Although 77 per cent said they understood their treatment plans, 25 per cent lacked clarity and only 46 per cent were offered more than one treatment option.
Understanding of targeted therapies – drugs designed to attack specific cancer cell features – was the lowest among treatment types.
Online communities were an important source of information and support, but only 43 per cent of respondents were referred to them by their care teams.
“Our analysis of young women living with ABC underscores a consistent theme,” said Merschdorf.
“The current standard of care, while medically advanced, remains deeply fragmented when it comes to the lived realities of younger ABC patients.
“From diagnosis delays to unmet psychosocial needs, patients face a system that too often demands self-advocacy in the face of fatigue, fear and financial strain.”
The Young Survival Coalition plans further research to explore the unique needs of younger patients with ABC.
“Advanced breast cancer poses a complex set of challenges for younger adults, whose experiences with this incurable illness intersect with critical phases of career, parenting and identity development.
“Project 528 provides a roadmap for researchers to investigate the issues that respondents identified as the most pressing, while also guiding supportive services and advocacy organisations to align their programmes with those needs.
“Beyond research and services, these findings can inform the development of health policies that better reflect and support the lived experiences of young adults facing breast cancer.
“Ultimately, the goal is for these data to drive meaningful improvements in research, care and policy that truly serve this community.”
Professor Fatima Cardoso, medical oncologist and president of the ABC Global Alliance, said: “This is an important study that shows, for the first time, the experiences of young patients living with advanced breast cancer and the challenges they face in their daily lives.
“It is concerning that not all of the women in this study were offered tests to see whether or not they had inherited cancer-causing genetic mutations, and to understand the biology of the tumour itself.
“In an age of precision medicine, all breast cancer patients should have access to these tests as they have a crucial role in treatment decision-making and hence impact on survival and quality of life.
“I hope that policymakers will take note of the results of this study and address the many gaps that it highlights in terms of diagnosis, treatment and supportive care, but also psychosocial and financial support.”
We are excited to reveal the winners of the third annual Femtech World Awards.
The winners were announced at a virtual event this afternoon attended by shortlisted companies, along with sponsors and judges.
The event welcomed guests from the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Thank you to all 174 entries, as well as the sponsors for making the event possible.
See you in 2027!
Femtech World Awards 2026 Winners
Winner:
Shortlisted:
IVI RMA x Juno Genetics
Natural Cycles
Winner:
Highly commended:
U-Ploid
Shortlisted:
Hello Inside
Winner:
WISE HF, led by Prof. Mary Ryder
Highly commended:
Cardiac College for Women
Shortlisted:
Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis
CognitiveCare
Winner:
Highly commended:
Youterus
Shortlisted:
ŌURA
Winner:
Shortlisted:
LeanShield by ParrotPal Group
Perigen
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Body Moody
Looop
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Owning Your Menopause
Womeno
Winner:
Shortlisted:
The Blue Box
Celbrea
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HealCycle
Mor
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HRC Fertility
Mira
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
A weight loss jab may improve fertility outcomes in women with PMOS, early findings from an ongoing clinical trial suggest.
The proof-of-concept analysis found that injectable semaglutide may offer reproductive benefits while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
It is the first report to examine how injectable semaglutide may improve reproductive outcomes in women with PMOS while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
The work forms part of the ongoing RESTORE clinical trial.
Melanie Cree, professor at CU Anschutz and first author of the report, said: “Women with PMOS frequently face a frustrating choice between treatments that target reproductive symptoms and those that address metabolic health.
“Our early findings suggest injectable semaglutide may have the potential to improve both, offering a more comprehensive approach to care.
“This medication is incredibly promising when someone responds with 10 per cent weight loss.”
The trial is examining whether semaglutide can restore ovulation and improve reproductive health in adolescents and adults with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, known as PMOS.
PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is a hormone and metabolic condition linked to irregular periods, raised testosterone levels, infertility risk, obesity and increased cardiometabolic disease.
Cardiometabolic disease refers to conditions linked to the heart and metabolism, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Existing treatments, including metformin and hormonal contraceptives, often do not fully address reproductive and metabolic complications at the same time.
The analysis focused on participants aged 12 to 35 who lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight during treatment.
Researchers said reproductive improvements appeared earlier than expected, prompting them to report preliminary findings while the wider study continues.
Cree is also a paediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Endocrinologists are doctors who specialise in hormones and hormone-related conditions.
Cree said: “What makes this work particularly important is that it focuses specifically on women with PMOS receiving injectable semaglutide.
“Although GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment, there remains a significant need for rigorous data examining how these therapies affect fertility and reproductive function in this population.”
The RESTORE study is evaluating semaglutide treatment in girls and women with PMOS and obesity.
Its broader aim is to determine whether weight loss and metabolic improvements can restore ovulation and improve reproductive outcomes.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary, a key part of the menstrual cycle and fertility.
The authors said the findings are from an early proof-of-concept analysis and that larger, longer-term studies will be needed to confirm whether the reproductive benefits last.
The findings suggest injectable semaglutide may become a treatment option for women with PMOS seeking improvements in both metabolic and reproductive health, if future studies confirm the results.
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