Supporting Young Breast Cancer Survivors, Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients, and their Families - About 9% of all new breast cancer cases are found in women younger than 45 years of age, and Black women under the age of 35 get breast cancer twice the rate of white women and die at three times the rate. Black young breast cancer survivors (YBCS) and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients face unique challenges, which are compounded when one experiences cancer at an early age as relationships, family care, and careers are impacted. To this end, with funding from CDC-RFA-DP-24-0061, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) will seek to increase the availability of psychosocial support services for YBCS and MBC patients and their families and caregivers, provide innovative education opportunities for healthcare providers serving them, and improve post-treatment opportunities especially for YBCS and MBC patients disproportionately impacted by health disparities. NACDD, leveraging over 35 years of expertise in chronic disease prevention and health promotion, proposes a comprehensive approach. The Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV) will be a point of focus, prioritizing Black YBCS and MBC patients due to the significantly higher incidence and mortality rates in this population. The strategies and activities of the project include: 1) Establishing a Steering Committee to spearhead the proposed body of work and identify priorities to be addressed through the partnership network; 2) Partnering with Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) coalitions to include goals, objectives, and strategies related to YBCS and MBC patients in state cancer plans and increase awareness among cancer control stakeholders of the psychosocial needs of YBCS and MBC patients; 3) Reaching 10 million YBCS, MBC patients, and individuals in their support networks through education outreach activities; 4) Developing the policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change agenda and implementing at least one PSE intervention annually; 5) Offering educational opportunities to primary care providers through a Learning Collaborative and a CME series; 6) Develop a repository of psychosocial resources available to YBCS and MBC patients to enhance the outreach and engagement capabilities of navigators and community health workers (CHWs) in the DMV area and train these professionals on effective strategies to extend their reach to these patients; and 7) Developing a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative that increases the number of YBCS and MBC patients who are referred to psychosocial support programs and services in primary care clinics and Commission on Cancer (CoC) centers. NACDD will partner with TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance (TOUCH BBCA), and the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC) to ensure the effective rollout of interventions. TOUCH BBCA has deep roots in the DMV community, and FMEC’s members include many family medicine residency programs in the area. In partnership with these organizations, NACDD is uniquely positioned to increase equitable access and availability of psychosocial and structural support services for Black YBCS and MBC patients and their families and to improve patient-provider interactions during follow-up and subsequent care.
