Younger women resources for healthcare professionals

Fertility

Fertility toolkit

We want to help improve communication between breast and fertility clinics, ensuring all young women have the opportunity to discuss their fertility preservation options before treatment.

We’ve developed the following resources to help you initiate a discussion and make a referral to a fertility clinic.

You can download these PDFs to your computer, or print them out. The referral form can also be filled out on your computer, so you can save it and email a copy to the fertility specialist. We recommend making a copy for each patient.

We recommend using these resources alongside our booklet Fertility, pregnancy and breast cancer treatment.

Fertility problems: assessment and treatment 1.16 People with cancer who wish to preserve fertility
National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2013 (updated 2017)

Fertility preservation for medical reasons in girls and women: British fertility society policy and practice guideline
British Fertility Society 2018

Treatments

Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and management 2018
National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2018 (updated 2023)

Treatment of primary breast cancer - SIGN 134
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 2013

First international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in younger women (BCY1)

Second international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in younger women (BCY2)

ESO-ESMO 3rd international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in younger women (BCY3)

ESO-ESMO 4th international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in young women (BCY4)

Family history

Familial breast cancer: classification, care and managing breast cancer and related risks in people with a family history of breast cancer
National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2013

Familial breast cancer report
Healthcare Improvement Scotland 2014

A beginner’s guide to BRCA1 and BRCA2
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 

Menopause

Menopause: diagnosis and management
National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2015 (updated 2019)

For information online, visit our Younger women pages

Younger Breast Cancer Network (YBCN)
User-led Facebook group for women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age (under the age of 45). Established in 2012, the group has more than 4,000 members, and there's a separate private sub-group for younger women with secondary breast cancer. 

Fruit Fly Collective
Produces toolkits to support parents to talk about cancer with their children.

Look Good Feel Better
Runs free skincare and make-up workshops for women undergoing cancer treatment.

Maggie’s
Holistic support for anyone affected by cancer, offered in 21 centres across the UK.

Mummy's Star
Support for women and their families affected by cancer during pregnancy or shortly after a birth.

Odyssey
Runs 5-day courses that help participants overcome the emotional impact of cancer and increase their confidence, using the outdoors and the arts as tools.

The Osborne Trust
Provides practical and emotional support for children and young people aged 16 or younger, during a parent’s cancer treatment.

Shine Cancer Support
Peer support opportunities for people diagnosed with cancer in their 20s, 30s or 40s.

Something To Look Forward To
Enables people with a cancer diagnosis to access free gifts, donated by companies and individuals.

Trekstock
Social and practical support to adults facing cancer in their 20s and 30s.

Willow Foundation
Organises special days for seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40.

Ruth Strauss Foundation
Provides emotional support for families to prepare for the death of a parent.

We run Younger Women Together support events throughout the country. They're offered online and face-to-face. Find out more about events for younger women with breast cancer.