Abstract-Sapphire

About the Project

Sapphire: Improving Outcomes for Young Women with Breast Cancer

After conducting research interviews with women who experienced a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, it was found that these women aged 40 years and younger with breast cancer experience poorer outcomes, have a wide spectrum of supportive needs and face unique survivorship issues compared to their older counterparts. Comprising approximately 5.4% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer, research and support are lacking for this population. To address this challenge, the project Sapphire was created to meet the psycho-social needs of these young women through the use of a peer support tool. Through a partnership with a Calgary-based company—Headversity which focuses on resiliency-building skills, the app development is underway with a goal of launching in 2024. The Sapphire app will create a safe space where young women can talk and gain support about common challenges they face, track their treatment through a roadmap feature, access clinical and psychosocial resources, along with access to tools to aid in their resiliency-building skills in creating a stronger and healthy mindset throughout their diagnosis, treatment and life after breast cancer.

The study objectives are:

To understand the needs of young women with breast cancer (YWBC) embarking on cancer treatment to optimize transition into survivorship
To co-develop the ICAN Manage Cancer self-management tool to support the specific needs of YWBC from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and into the survivorship period
To compare levels of anxiety, depression and self-efficacy at 12 and 24 months in YWBC who receive the RUBY self-management tool compared to women who receive usual care

Project Team

Principal Investigators: May Lynn Quan, Kelly Metcalfe

Co-Investigators: Shawn Xu, Lisa Barbera, Nancy Baxter, Karen Fergus, Doris Howell, Nathalie LaVasseur, Adena Scheer, Christine Simmons, Amirrtha Srikanthan, Claire Temple-Oberle

Funded by: Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Canadian Cancer Society ($1,153,000)

Presentations

CSSO Annual Spring Meeting May 2021 Oral Presentation:

Preparing to Survive: Improving Outcomes for Young Women with Breast Cancer.

Alison Hunter-Smith, FRCS (Presenter), Colleen Cuthbert BN MN PhD, Karen Fergus PhD C.Psych, Lisa Barbera MC MPA FRCPC, Yvonne Efegoma MBBS MSc, Doris Howell RN PhD FAAN, Susan Isherwood PhD, Nathalie Levasseur MD BSc FRCPC, Adena Scheer MD MSc FRCSC, Christine Simmons MD MSc FRCPC, Amirrtha Srikantham MD MHSc FRCPC CHE, Claire Temple-Orberle BA MD MSc FRCSC, Yuan Xu MD MSc PhD, Kelly Metcalfe RN PhD FAAN & May Lynn Quan MD MSc FRCSC. CSSO Best Long Abstract Prize Winner.

Canadian Surgery Forum September 2021 Oral Presentation:

Preparing to Survive: Improving Outcomes for Young Women with Breast Cancer.

ASBrS 23rd Annual Meeting 2022 Poster Presentation:

Preparing to Survive: Improving Outcomes for Young Women with Breast Cancer from diagnosis, throughout treatment and into survivorship.

Alison Hunter-Smith, FRCS, Colleen Cuthbert BN MN PhD, Karen Fergus PhD C.Psych, Lisa Barbera MC MPA FRCPC, Yvonne Efegoma MBBS MSc, Doris Howell RN PhD FAAN, Susan Isherwood PhD, Nathalie Levasseur MD BSc FRCPC, Adena Scheer MD MSc FRCSC, Christine Simmons MD MSc FRCPC, Amirrtha Srikantham MD MHSc FRCPC CHE, Claire Temple-Orberle BA MD MSc FRCSC, Yuan Xu MD MSc PhD, Kelly Metcalfe RN PhD FAAN & May Lynn Quan MD MSc FRCSC.

The American Society of Breast Surgeons Official Proceedings, Volume XXIII 2022 Annual Meeting Scientific Session Abstracts. Ann Surg Oncol 29, 1–330 (2022).

Past Contributions to Sapphire

Amina Benmessaoud, BSc, MEngD

Amina is SPHERE's past Health Technologist who worked on numerous projects including Sapphire in both its early establishment and later design and content development stages. She has an undergraduate background in Biology and a Masters in Engineering Design, where she worked on the research and design of several human centric healthcare products, including mobile applications. Both her experience and passions for healthcare helped shape Sapphire into the project it is today, and her contributions were greatly appreciated.

Current Projects

About the Project

Project Team

Presentations

Past Contributions to Sapphire

Amina Benmessaoud, BSc, MEngD

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