‘Young women lack cancer resources’

YOUNG Irish women who develop breast cancer are more vulnerable to the physical and psycho-social effects of their treatment because they have fewer resources to turn to, Action Breast Cancer (ABC) has claimed.

Most of the support and educational backup is designed for women over the age of 50, but every year more than 240 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women under the age of 45, and the incidence of the disease among younger women is on the increase.

Specific issues that younger women face include fertility, sexual function, dependent young children, more aggressive treatment and treatment-induced early menopause.

Tomorrow, ABC and Reach to Recovery will host a conference in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, to allow younger women with breast cancer to network and explore issues with other affected women.

The conference will also be a first step in the establishment of a programme to address the needs of younger women with breast cancer.

“When a woman hears she has breast cancer, the words can be life-altering, but especially so in the case of a younger woman because the issues that she faces are fundamentally different to those of her older postmenopausal counterparts,” said Abby Langtry, ABC’s project leader.

At the conference there will be presentations on current treatments and the psychological impact of a breast cancer diagnosis.

There will also be workshops on fertility, sexuality, communication, stress, fatigue and the menopause.

Ms Langtry said their key objective in holding the conference was to tell younger women with breast cancer that they were not alone.

“ABC and Reach to Recovery will assist younger women through their breast cancer journey and will provide the latest medical information, psychological support and practical help,” she stressed.

Specifically, the conference will help women understand how various treatments can affect fertility and what options can help them maintain their potential for future childbearing.

Women who would like further information or would like to register for the conference can contact ABC at 1800 30 90 40.