Call the referring provider team Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 866-385-3123 (1-866-DUKE-123). You can also email OncologyReferral@Duke.edu or fax 919-613-2316.
Patients under age 40 at the time of an invasive breast cancer diagnosis may qualify for a new program at Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). Through a designated care navigator, the pilot program coordinates personalized support that’s tailored to meet the unique needs of younger patients with breast cancer.
Launched as a pilot in Durham running through March 2026, the program, led by breast medical oncologist Rani Bansal, MD, aims to expand later this spring. “We have long recognized that our younger patients have different needs, goals, and concerns,” says Bansal. “Our care navigator has expertise in the young adult population, and helps patients quickly access and coordinate Duke’s extensive support services,” she adds.
Additional care for younger patients can often involve personalized services to address fertility, sexual health, access to clinical trials, counseling, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. “We’ve had all of these services at Duke, but we’re now bridging them together into a formal program with our navigator who facilitates each patient’s care in a timely way,” says Bansal.
Bansal explains that younger patients often have different life circumstances, needs, and concerns. “Some of our young patients have young children to care for, careers to manage, relationship dynamics that need support, and other life complexities that can be challenging to balance throughout cancer treatment. Others may be planning for a family in the future and want to explore fertility preservation early in their cancer treatment,” she says. The program’s nurse navigator helps patients identify their unique needs and provides resources, including psychosocial support, early in the care journey.
Research focused on younger populations
Another aspect of the program is research centered around younger populations with breast cancer. Bansal and her team will examine outcomes of patients in the program and open clinical trials focused on younger patients to explore other potential treatments that may lead to improved oncologic and quality of life outcomes.
“We’re collecting blood and tissue for scientific investigation. We want to understand why younger patients are getting breast cancer, so we can develop strategies to intervene earlier in the disease process,” says Bansal.
The team is also considering survivorship. As the program evolves, it will consider how to support patients for longitudinal care. Bansal adds, “We want to understand how breast cancer and current treatments affect all aspects of a patient’s life and health, not just oncologic outcomes.”
Expanding to more patients
Bansal and her team aim to expand the program to additional DCI locations and reach more patients. Bansal concludes, “We hope that this becomes a new model for the standard of care, where holistic concerns for our younger patients are addressed quickly for each patient.”