SABCS: mHealth Intervention Improves QoL in Adolescent, Young Adult Breast Cancer Survivors

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For adolescent and young adult (AYA) breast cancer (BC) survivors, a scalable mobile health intervention improves quality of life and reduces specific symptoms, according to a study presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held from Dec. 9 to 12 in San Antonio.

Ann H. Partridge, M.D., M.P.H., from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, randomized controlled trial of the Young, Empowered & Strong (YES) intervention that offers tailored information, resources, and support based on monthly electronic patient-reported outcomes surveillance, together with an expressive writing platform and monitored chat room, in AYA BC survivors. After completing a baseline survey, 360 participants (median age at diagnosis, 34 years) were randomly assigned to YES and usual care (179 and 181, respectively).

The researchers found that baseline-adjusted differences in quality of life from baseline to six months were significantly different between the arms, favoring the YES arm for general and cancer-specific quality of life (difference, −4.87 and −3.16, respectively). Greater improvement of specific symptoms was seen on the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial symptom scales at six months favoring the YES arm (vaginal problems and arm problems: unadjusted difference in mean changes, −0.57 and −0.39, respectively). Modest improvements in fatigue were seen based on baseline-adjusted six-month changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Fatigue, which also favored the YES arm (difference, −1.48).

“This type of intervention has the potential to improve the health and well-being of several other hard-to-reach populations, such as busy young adults and rural Americans who are less able to engage in person with cancer center resources and support,” Partridge said in a statement.

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