Hospital and community supportive care for young women with breast cancer: a scoping review and environmental scan.

PURPOSE

This study is an up-to-date review of supportive care available to young women with breast cancer (YWBCs) in both hospital-based and community organizations. This review describes the types of psychosocial programming for YWBCs in English-speaking regions and is inclusive of community organizations which are generally not captured in reviews.

METHODS

We used a PRISMA-guided scoping review with a snowball search method (pulled from three databases: (1) PsycINFO, (2) CINAHL, and (3) PubMed) in conjunction with a web-based environmental scan using an online search engine strategy and including grey literature. The initial searches were performed from July 2020 to January 2021, and results were updated in April 2023 and January 2025. In addition to describing the models of care available, we explored the differing praxis associated with each support domain (hospital and community) that underlies the development of YWBC care.

RESULTS

A total of 6228 journal articles were screened by two researchers who engaged in continuous consensus discussions, and 22 were identified to be consistent with our inclusion criteria. The web-based environmental scan identified 24 organizations catering to YWBCs using the following keywords: "breast cancer," "young women," "breast cancer young women's online community program," "breast cancer support," "under 50 young women breast cancer," and "online program breast cancer for young women." While academic and hospital-based programs were more likely to offer empirically supported psychological interventions, community organizations were more likely to provide informal social support and practical assistance (e.g., childcare and finances). A "hybrid-type" model of care was identified and deemed to be optimal because of its comprehensiveness and ability to integrate both hospital and community resources.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided a descriptive review, with a comparison framework, of the interventions that currently exist from hospital-based and community-based paradigms. It is recommended that hybrid models be made available to YWBCs to support their unique needs.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Hybrid-type models of care identified in this review, which integrate community and hospital resources, may provide more comprehensive support than either model alone. The provision of timely, appropriate psychosocial support may aid in the transition to survivorship by mitigating the deleterious effect of issues specific to YWBCs, including concerns around fertility, body image, relationships, and fear of cancer recurrence.