The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is the only international, non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer. Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities and to persuade them to address breast cancer in women 40 and under. The YSC also serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer.

The YSC strives to increase the quality and quantity of life for all young women affected by breast cancer by being the foremost influencer on issues relating to young women affected by breast cancer worldwide.

The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is the only international, non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer. Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities and to persuade them to address breast cancer in women 40 and under. The YSC also serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer.

Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities and to persuade them to address breast cancer in women 40 and under. The YSC also serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer.
The YSC strives to increase the quality and quantity of life for all young women affected by breast cancer by being the foremost influencer on issues relating to young women affected by breast cancer worldwide.

The YSC serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer, their family, friends and supporters

The Young Survival Coalition's (YSC) educational programs are designed to reach not only our core audience of young women affected by breast cancer but also members of the medical community, friends, family members, caregivers, the breast health community, healthy young women and the general public.

The Young Survival Coalition’s website, www.youngsurvival.org, is a major resource for young women affected by breast cancer. On our website information such as survivor stories, an Ask the Expert section, statistics, access to our ResourceLink, among other subjects are available. One of the most utilized sections is the Bulletin Board where members post information and questions about a wide range of topics which include: treatment, fertility, reconstructive surgery, metastatic disease, diversity, a remembrance board etc. The Bulletin Boards are a wonderful place to meet other young women living with breast cancer, to share information, stories, ideas, support, advice and friendship, and are not meant to replace the advice of a doctor or a therapist

Our ResourceLink program is a peer-support network and information line that can provide young breast cancer survivors with referrals to information, resources and a connection to other young women affected by breast cancer who share a similar diagnosis, background, life experience or concerns through our Point of Contact program, as well as informational resources such as brochures, fact sheets, educational DVDs/videotapes and books that address issues specific to young women.

Last year, we launched the 1st annual ResourceLink Guidebook which is the premiere resource for young women and an incredible resource for all women affected by breast cancer, their family, friends, healthcare professionals and supporters. This Guidebook is 164 pages filled with valuable resources for women at all stages of diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survivorship. It is the portal to numerous local, statewide and national assistance resources as well as more than 450 breast cancer support groups. The guidebook will be updated annually and it is our goal to have a more dynamic version online.

The Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer is the largest and only international conference specifically for young women affected by breast cancer, their caregivers and the medical community who serve them. This program is a collaborative effort between the YSC and Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). Last year the conference gathered over 800 young women, their caregivers and friends and provided these young women with information, resources and vital peer support. This conference is where young women diagnosed with breast cancer go to meet other young women like themselves who have experienced similar diagnosis, treatment, fears and survivorship issues. Finally, these young women know they are not alone. The 2008 conference will be in Jacksonville, FL from February 22nd-24th and will include plenary sessions featuring some of the most prominent physicians and members of the medical community discussing treatment, research and information on what’s on the horizon; workshops on topics ranging from fertility to sexuality and intimacy to treatment options to advanced metastatic disease, among other issues that are relevant to young women affected by breast cancer.

Metastatic initiatives were developed to help reduce the sense of isolation, provide information and address the unique issues faced by young women with metastatic (advanced) breast cancer, a particularly underserved population. We provide information for women newly diagnosed with metastatic disease who need to know about advances in treatment and clinical trials, as with these advances in treatment, breast cancer may be managed as a chronic disease. Telephone networking sessions are offered monthly in order to enable young women who are living full and successful lives with breast cancer the chance to talk to others who are going through similar experiences e.g. raising children, managing careers and school, and relationship issues. To facilitate this, we offer telephone networking sessions to bring women together so that they may share experiences and support each other.

Last year, the first annual Metastatic Retreat was inaugurated. About 20 young women living with metastic breast cancer were sent on a retreat to hear about the latest news and research on advanced cancer and to meet and be around other young women going through similar experiences in order to reduce their sense of isolation.

Programmatic merchandise is available and sent to anyone who requests them or who call the RL hotline. These include 4 videos which are meant for those who are newly diagnosed or living with breast cancer, genetics and breast cancer in young women and, most recently, a documentary interviewing 8 young women living with advanced breast cancer. Organizational brochures are also available and have recently been translated into Spanish.

8th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer from February 22nd-24th in Jacksonville, FL.

14 members

31 members of the medical community including medical and surgical oncologists; psychosocial; genetic and epidemiological specialists

Hershey's; CCA Industries/Nutranail; ghd; Roche; Astra Zeneca; Sanofi-Aventis; Genentech; Amgen; Ortho Biotech; Blaustein Family Foundation; Avon Foundation; National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund

The YSC is the premier organization for young women and breast cancer. The goal of the YSC is to educate the world that Young women CAN and DO get breast cancer. While breast cancer in young women accounts for a small percentage of all breast cancer cases, the impact of this disease is widespread. There are more than 250,000 women 40 and under in the U.S. living with breast cancer, and over 11,100 young women will be diagnosed in the next year. But, despite the fact that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54, many young women and their doctors are unaware that they are at risk for breast cancer. There is no effective breast cancer screening tool for women 40 and under which results in young women often diagnosed at a later stage than their older counterparts. There is very little research or educational materials focused on issues unique to this younger population, such as fertility, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, the impact of hormonal status on the effectiveness of treatment, psycho-social and long-term survivorship issues, and higher mortality rates for young women, particularly for African-Americans and Latinas.
For all these reasons the YSC encourages young women to become advocates for their own health and become educated about breast cancer.

Raise close to $3 million for the programs and services for young women affected by breast cancer

Launch an elaborate registry which will poll the constituency and ask a variety of complex questions with the goal of gathering information which will be used by the medical and research community. It is our hope that the YSC’s registry will aide in the understanding of why young women get breast cancer and will encourage the medical and research communities to involve young women in more studies.

Co-host the 8th annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer and gather close to 1000 young women together to learn the latest news on treatment and to meet other young women going through similar experiences.

Create a more dynamic Guidebook online which will be more comprehensive and will allow our constituents to navigate more easily.

Launched the Spanish version of www.youngsurvival.org and translated many of our materials into Spanish (and some in French for our Canadian constituents)

Inaugurated ResourceLink Guidebook available in print and online to provide any and all information for young women affected by breast cancer.

Produced and distributed the newest video “The Beautiful Eight: Learning to Live with Advanced Breast Cancer,” an educational video for women living with advanced breast cancer

Launched first annual weekend retreat for young women and metastatic breast cancer .

Increased diversification by creating programs and services for diverse populations and providing them with resources appropriate to their specific needs.

Co-hosted 7th annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer which had the highest attendance, bringing together close to 800 young women affected by breast cancer.