Fertility concerns

A consensus was also issued during the conference on the diagnosis and treatment of young patients who want to retain normal fertility.

According to Ma, the peak incidence age of breast cancer in China is 10 to 15 years earlier than in Western countries, with many patients age 35 or younger.

Many of these patients have yet to give birth, and they still wish to start families.

It is almost impossible for young patients to avoid chemotherapy, which usually contains cyclophosphamide, or CTX, which can damage the reproductive system. Endocrine therapy is also likely to cause sterility as a result of its effect on the uterus and ovaries, Ma said.

Research indicates that although more than half the patients in China are worried about problems related to procreation, very few ask for their treatment plans to be adjusted.

The consensus suggests that all young patients should receive genetic counseling, regardless of their family history, and that doctors should consider the adverse effects of CTX on young patients who want to have children.

"The consensus fills in the gap in helping to protect the reproductive health of cancer patients and provides practical operational instructions for medical institutions at all levels, marking a new step toward establishing an overall management system for breast cancer in China," Ma said.

Xinhua