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Objective To describe clinical and information needs, identify unmet support services and guide interventions for young breast cancer (BC) patients in Mexico. Methods Cross‐sectional, qualitative study, using interpretive description methodology. Patients with initial BC diagnosis within 6–12 months prior to enrolment, ≤40 years old and literate were included in focus groups. Results Twenty‐nine patients were included. Expressed needs were classified into the following categories: (a) understanding diagnosis and treatment; (b) treatment side effects; and (c) time, source and communication means. Patients felt their medical team did not provide enough information regarding diagnosis, treatment and relevant side effects related to fertility, menopause and sexuality. Lack of information fuelled uncertainty, distress, anxiety and fear, and could negatively influence treatment decisions. Patients wished that news be communicated considering their own attitude regarding the disease and providing psychological support when necessary, including partners, relatives and friends. They recommended that information should be delivered with an empathic and personalised approach, with take‐home educational material to help them recall, comprehend and/or expand verbal information received during medical appointments. Conclusions This study provides valuable insight to increase attention on unmet needs of young BC patients and to improve doctor–patient communication to ensure better care.

Young women with breast cancer (YWBC) represent roughly 15% of breast cancer (BC) cases in Latin America and other developing regions. Breast tumors occurring at an early age are more aggressive and have an overall worse prognosis compared to breast tumors in postmenopausal women. The expression of relevant proliferation biomarkers such as endocrine receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 appears to be unique in YWBC. Moreover, histopathological, molecular, genetic, and genomic studies have shown that YWBC exhibit a higher frequency of aggressive subtypes, differential tumor gene expression, increased genetic susceptibility, and specific genomic signatures, compared to older women with BC. This article reviews the current knowledge on tumor biology and genomic signatures in YWBC.

Purpose Contraceptive counseling and adherence in young women with breast cancer (BC) is a relevant issue because chemotherapy and hormonal treatment resulting in amenorrhea do not preclude unintended pregnancies. Currently, there is limited evidence from high-income countries; however, there are no studies regarding use of contraceptives in patients with BC in Mexico. This study aimed to determine the rate of contraceptive use in young Mexican women with BC during cancer treatment, characterize their contraceptive preferences, and assess contraceptive counseling by Mexican physicians. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted regarding contraceptive use and counseling among women age 40 years or younger at BC diagnosis who had completed chemotherapy in the previous 5 years or who were currently receiving long-term treatment with hormonal therapy and/or trastuzumab at a large tertiary health care facility in Mexico. Results Of a total of 104 eligible women with median age at diagnosis of 34 years, 51.1% reported using a contraceptive during chemotherapy and 45.7% reported using a contraceptive during other types of cancer treatment (hormonal therapy and trastuzumab). Of the 51 patients (49%) who were sexually active during chemotherapy, 76.5% used contraception, but only 29.4% used an effective contraceptive method. When asked about contraceptive counseling, only 16.7% recalled being advised by their health care provider. Sexually active women who received contraceptive counseling used contraceptives more often than women who were not counseled (83.3% v 22.2%). Conclusion A minority of young women with BC in Mexico use effective contraception methods during cancer treatment and receive contraceptive counseling. Informing all premenopausal patients with BC about effective use of contraception methods during treatment should be an essential aspect of the supportive care of young women.