The ABC News (1/21, James) “Medical Unit” blog reported, “Women younger than 50 who survive breast cancer face an array of quality of life challenges: psychological stress, weight gain and decline in physical activity, according to a study published…in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. They also struggle with reproductive issues such as infertility and early-onset menopause.”
HealthDay (1/21, Preidt) reported that investigators looked at data from 28 studies. The research “revealed that overall quality of life was reduced in” breast cancer patients 50 years of age or less, “and that mental issues were more severe than physical problems, said” the investigators. The researchers “also found that younger breast cancer patients were more depressed than women of the same age without cancer in the general population, or breast cancer patients older than 50.” Meanwhile, “premature menopause, infertility and menopause-related symptoms were more common among patients 50 and younger and contributed to their levels of distress.”