Supporting Young Breast Cancer Survivors, Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients, and their Families - Young And A Survivor! (YAAS!) is a network of survivors, co-survivors, patient advocates, clinicians, support services providers, researchers, and local and national advocacy organizations working collaboratively to reduce disparities in survival and quality of life due to race, ethnicity, and other social determinants of health among young breast cancer survivors (YBCS) and metastatic breast cancer thrivers (MBCT) in Chicago. YBCS/MBCT and their co-survivors (CoS) can face considerable challenges from the time of diagnosis through treatment and recovery, including medical, psychosocial, financial, and health issues. Although, clinical and supportive services may be available to address these challenges, the U.S. system of service delivery is fragmented. This places an additional burden on survivors and co-survivors to access care, particularly in underserved communities. Additionally, services are often targeted to an older population and thus do not meet the needs of young survivors. Documented disparities in stage of diagnosis and mortality point to barriers to access among people who are low income, racial or ethnic minorities, immigrants or refugees, or who have disabilities. Removing barriers to access and creating an environment of health equity in a fragmented healthcare system requires strong partnerships across the cancer care continuum. These partnerships are most effective in strengthening the safety net when they leverage existing resources, working together to increase capacity for comprehensive survivorship care for all YBCS/MBCT/Cos. The YAAS! network brings together experts in survivorship care, primary care, palliative care, physical therapy, sexual health, fertility, disability rights, mental health, healthy lifestyles (nutrition, exercise, meditation), legal, financial, insurance, and work-related rights, food insecurity, and support services tailored to Black and Latina survivors. The network also brings together advocates and community leaders from diverse neighborhoods across Chicago with lived experience and expertise navigating the challenges of the Chicago healthcare system landscape, leveraging the strengths of their communities to support one another, and working for policy, system, and environmental change to improve the health of their families and communities. YAAS! is well-positioned to design and implement strategies to build capacity for services that meet the multifaceted needs of YBCS/MBCT/CoS in underserved communities and improve health outcomes and quality of life. YAAS! leverages the strengths of each of our diverse network of clinical, community, and academic partners in a robust infrastructure that: 1) promotes equitable engagement of all stakeholders in the identification, design, and implementation of socially responsive, sustainable policy, system, and environmental change; 2) expands clinical and community capacity for care that is tailored to the specific needs of YBCS/MBCT/CoS in underserved communities through innovative peer networking and training opportunities; and 3) coordinates and streamlines resources to weave a robust safety-net that increases access to care, quality of life, and overall survival among Chicago’s most vulnerable young breast cancer survivors.
