A breast cancer diagnosis is challenging for a young woman. Let's remove hurdles to accurate & easy-to-digest information.
The Young and A Survivor (YAAS!) Network for Health Equity created I Am Still Me Siego Siendo Yo, a series of pocket resource guides (English/Spanish) for young women at key stages on the care continuum & remind them, despite the diagnosis, “I am still me.”
Each 8-fold pocket guide reduces “information overload” through QR codes that link your patients directly to evidence-based resources. Working in collaboration with young women diagnosed with breast cancer, we identified the most pressing questions and resources that respond to their concerns.
Share these guides with your patients and give young women the support they need as they navigate life after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Let’s work together to make sure young women have access to the right people and resources at the right time, no matter where they are in the cancer care continuum!
A guide for those recently diagnosed provides resources on preparing for surgery, communicating with your cancer care team, taking time off work or school, understanding genetic testing, fertility preservation, mental health resources, and the benefits of peer support and where to find it.
A guide for those who have completed treatment helps young women make the transition to life after treatment. Resources include sexual health, family building and parenting, accommodations at work or school, body image, mental health, and giving and getting peer support.
Connect with us to learn more about YAAS!:
Tamara Hamish, PhD, YAAS Project Director, Email: hamlish@uic.edu
Joan Alcazar, YAAS Outreach Coordinator, Email: jalcaz2@uic.edu
Talia Holzman Castellands, MPH, Program Manager, Email: talia@uic.edu
About Young and A Survivor (YAAS!) Network
Young and A Survivor! (YAAS!) is a robust network of clinicians, supportive service providers, navigators, survivors, thrivers, co-survivors, and patient advocacy organizations working collaboratively to promote health equity among young women in Chicago diagnosed with breast cancer, their co-survivors, healthcare providers, and communities. Young breast cancer survivors are women diagnosed under the age of 45, including those living with metastatic breast cancer.
The YAAS! Network for Health Equity is a program at the University of Illinois Cancer Center supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement NU58DP006674
