medwireNews: The European School of Oncology (ESO) and the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) have issued an update to their consensus recommendations for the management of breast cancer in young women.
The guidelines were developed during the 5th International Consensus Symposium for Breast Cancer in Young Women (BCY5), which took place in October 2020, and update the BCY4 recommendations. They are endorsed by European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA) and are published in the Annals of Oncology.
The recommendations encompass topics such as the diagnosis and treatment of early and advanced disease as well as supportive care and follow-up in young women with breast cancer, defined by the panel as women aged younger than 40 years at the time of diagnosis.
The document also addresses the management of women with germline pathogenic variants, the presence of which can impact “risk reduction measures, local management and systemic therapy,” highlight Shani Paluch-Shimon (Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel) and fellow authors.
They also provide guidance on fertility, ovarian function suppression, and premature menopause, which are “major issues” in this patient population.
Paluch-Shimon and colleagues emphasize that “[a]ll diagnostic and treatment recommendations should be considered in the context of national regulatory approval, availability, and reimbursement.”
And they conclude: “Urgent research is needed to address adherence to available treatments, health disparities and needs of minorities, and a global effort is required to help bridge the gaps in [low- and middle-income countries].
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