A mobile health intervention called Young, Empowered, and Strong (YES) improved quality of life and reduced symptom burden in adolescent and young adult (AYA) breast cancer survivors after six months, according to data presented at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).
The YES clinical trial (NCT04906200) enrolled 360 breast cancer survivors. At six months, participants using YES (n = 179) reported a mean general quality of life score of 77.6 on the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS) measure, compared with 78.1 for those receiving usual care (n = 181). Lower QLACS scores indicate better quality of life.
At baseline, YES participants had mean general and cancer-specific QLACS scores of 86.3 and 52.5, respectively, while the usual care group scored 79.7 and 48.9. By six months, general quality of life scores dropped by 8.7 points in the YES group and 1.6 points in the usual care group. Cancer-specific scores decreased by 7.8 points with YES and 3 points with usual care.
“YES is a scalable mobile health intervention that improved general and cancer-specific quality of life and reduced burdensome symptoms in our AYA survivors,” said Ann H. Partridge, MD, founder and director of Dana-Farber’s Program for Young Adults with Breast Cancer. “This approach supports patients largely without direct clinician involvement, offering a potentially scalable public health solution for populations who are busy or have limited access to clinics.”
Study Design and Patient Characteristics
Patients were enrolled at Dana-Farber (n = 190), The Ohio State University (n = 118), and Columbia University Medical Center (n = 52). Eligible participants were female, aged 15 to 39 at diagnosis, had stage 0 to III breast cancer, were within three years of completing active treatment, had no recurrence, and spoke English.
“AYA patients experience substantial symptoms and concerns that can affect adherence to therapy, follow-up care, and long-term outcomes,” Partridge noted. “Serial monitoring through electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) has improved outcomes in adults, particularly during chemotherapy or advanced stages.”
The median time since diagnosis was 18.9 months. Nearly half (47.5%) were aged 35 to 39 at diagnosis. Most patients were White (80.6%), lived in urban areas (88.9%), and had stage I (34.8%) or II (38.2%) disease. Hormone receptor–positive disease was common (74.5%), 43.8% underwent bilateral mastectomy, and 77.3% received chemotherapy, biological, or immunotherapy.
The YES portal included monthly electronic assessments of symptoms, AYA concerns, a chat room, and a journal feature.
“The intervention was designed to engage patients in self-managing symptoms, empower them to contact their clinical team for unmet needs, reduce isolation, and lower stress,” Partridge explained. “This approach may improve overall outcomes for young survivors.”
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