Understanding Supportive Care Needs in Younger Women With Cancer

Young women with cancer are in need of more individualized supportive care in order to best meet each patients unique needs, ranging from fertility preservation to financial concerns, according to Natalie Schnaitmann, executive director of the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope, located in Duarte, California.

To further discuss this topic, Natalie sat down for an interview with CURE in which she expanded on the most urgent supportive care gaps younger women with cancer encounter, and how they affect long-term quality of life for patients in this space.

Transcript:

I would say it's hard to identify what's most urgent for a patient and family, because whatever supportive care gap they are experiencing, it is urgent to them. Through screening and working with tens of thousands of patients, we understand the common needs that arise, and it's important for us to address those upfront. Since it's often their first time facing cancer, we know the right questions to ask regarding their practical, social, emotional, and physical supportive care needs. However, it's crucial to personalize this for the individual patient and family sitting right in front of you, asking the right questions to uncover what is most concerning for them.

For young women in particular, which is our current focus, fertility preservation is an extremely important topic. It's vital to bring this up early, asking questions in a way they can understand the consequences, opportunities, and implications. However, this young patient population isn't only comprised of women who haven't had children yet. Some young women may have already completed their families, making fertility not their top concern. They might be dealing with parenting, often young children, and perhaps already balancing a demanding career, which is challenging enough without adding cancer and its treatment.

While fertility might not be their focus, addressing parenting issues becomes critical. This includes basic concerns like: “How am I going to get myself to treatment when I'm feeling terribly ill and immunocompromised?” Or, if they have a partner who needs to work and can't safely use public transportation, fundamental questions arise: “Who's going to watch the kids when I'm gone? Who's going to take them to school or soccer practice when I have an eight-hour chemotherapy session or am hospitalized?” These are very difficult, day-to-day practical questions that can become significant barriers to care for young women.

Beyond the scope of children, not everyone is dealing with those specific issues. You might have a young couple. We have a special “Couples Coping Together Against Cancer” program, recognizing the incredible strain any couple experiences going through this together. Young couples sometimes have fewer years of building their stress tolerance together. Finances can also be a really big deal for younger individuals, impacting their ability to work, especially if their career or insurance depends on that work. That's a lot.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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