Visit the Young and Strong website to read information on topics important to young adults, including fertility, coping, sex and intimacy, going to work or school through a diagnosis, healthy living, resources, and more.
Join us in person for Breast Cancer in Young Adults: A Forum for Patients, Survivors, and Loved Ones, celebrating its 20th anniversary Friday, October 18, at the InterContinental Boston hotel. This event is open to young adults with breast cancer (diagnosed under the age of 45), survivors, and loved ones.
Join us in person for our annual forum for young adult breast cancer patients and survivors. This year’s event will feature two events on September 22 and October 14; you’re invited to attend both sessions or to choose the one that most interests you.
A cancer diagnosis is a life-altering experience for most people, but young adults with breast cancer often face extra challenges specific to their stage of life. As they manage a serious illness they may also be concerned about fertility, raising children, finishing school, managing a career, or building relationships.
About the Young and Strong Program
The program, founded in 2005, is the first and only one of its kind in New England. We have guided more than 6,200 young adults on their journeys through and beyond cancer, offering comprehensive care, support, and education tailored specifically for them.
Visit the Young and Strong website to read information on topics important to young adults, including fertility, coping, sex and intimacy, going to work or school through a diagnosis, healthy living, resources, and more.
Young and Strong Program Helps Young Women With Breast Cancer
Dana-Farber's Young and Strong Program helps young women with breast cancer by providing expert clinical care along with supportive care, educational resources, and access to community of young women who are also going through breast cancer.
Your Care Team
Ann Partridge, MD, MPH
Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, is the co-founder and director of the Young and Strong Program for Young Adults with Breast Cancer. She is also director of Dana-Farber's Adult Survivorship Program. Dr. Partridge has published her research in several leading journals, and she lectures nationally and internationally on young adults with breast cancer and cancer survivorship. She has received several awards and grants including a Champions in Change designation from the White House, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Improving Cancer Care Grant, LIVESTRONG Foundation Award, and Tracy Starr Breast Cancer Research Fund Award. She also serves as a Susan G. Komen for the Cure Scholar and a Breast Cancer Research Foundation funded investigator.
The program staff includes world-renowned breast cancer experts who understand the concerns of young adults. They partner with patients to help them make informed decisions about their care. They also conduct innovative research on the biology of breast cancer in young adults, the value of support programs, the safety of pregnancy during and following cancer treatment, and other topics.
The care team also includes dedicated nurses, social workers, and two program coordinators who onboard each new patient to the Young and Strong program. One of our program coordinators will meet with you at your first clinical appointment. She will explain the many resources and services available to you during and after your cancer treatment, including genetic counseling, fertility services, integrative medicine (including acupuncture, Reiki, and massage), nutrition consults, support groups and one-on-one peer mentors, social work and counseling services, educational events, and much more.
Our program coordinators can help answer questions about your care and help connect you with resources at Dana-Farber and in your community. They are available throughout your care at Dana-Farber.
Clinical social workers are an integral part of the care team. You will be offered an individual consultation with a clinical social worker to help you address the emotional needs and practical concerns you may have as a patient. You can decide if you want to meet with a social worker and whether the consultation is just one time or an ongoing series. Even if you initially decline to meet with a social worker, you can always request a meeting at any time. Social workers can also meet with your family members at your request.
We offer a wide range of services, from financial planning to creative arts to spiritual counsel, to support our patients through their cancer experiences.
If you or your doctor thinks you are at high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, led by Judy Garber, MD, MPH, will create a personalized program to estimate your risk, and work with you and your clinical team to lower your risk as much as possible.
In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Judy Garber, MD, MPH, discusses the latest in genetic research, including hereditary risks, genetic testing, and treatment options.
More Information on Young Adults with Breast Cancer