Reproductive concerns among young adult women with breast cancer: a systematic review protocol

Reproductive concerns refer to worries about impaired or lost reproductive ability due to disease or/and treatment. Many young female patients with breast cancer experience reproductive concerns because they still desire to have children at the time of diagnosis. Reproductive concerns can impact patients' treatment decision-making as well as their psychological health and quality of life. Understanding the situation, contributing factors and health-related consequences of reproductive concerns among patients with breast cancer is essential to minimise their impacts.

A systematic review will be conducted. We will search five English databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and APA PsycInfo) and four Chinese databases (Wang Fang database, VIP, CBM and CNKI) for pertinent studies. Other relevant studies will be identified from the reference lists of included studies. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal. Any discrepancies between the two reviewers will be resolved through consultation and discussion with the senior reviewer. A formal narrative synthesis will be performed to summarise the findings of individual studies. This review aims to improve understanding of the level of reproductive concerns, factors associated with reproductive concerns and health-related consequences of reproductive concerns among patients with breast cancer. The findings can contribute to the development of tailored interventions to alleviate reproductive concerns of patients with breast cancer, enhancing their psychological health and quality of life.

Ethical approval is not required for this review, as it will be based on published studies. The findings will be disseminated by publishing in a journal.

CRD42022375247.