Caring for Young Adults with Breast Cancer: Providers' Perspectives on Burnout in a Complex Care Landscape

While challenges faced by young adults (YAs) aged 18-39 years with breast cancer are well-documented, health care providers' experiences caring for YAs are underinvestigated. Given high burnout rates among oncologists, this study explores providers' perspectives about how complex care of YAs may impact emotional well-being.

A multidisciplinary cohort of breast oncology practitioners from a single Comprehensive Cancer Center were recruited to complete (1) semistructured interviews, and (2) the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) between August and November 2025. Interview questions prompted participants' narratives about how complexities in clinical care for YAs might affect their emotional well-being. Transcribed interview audio-recordings were analyzed for recurring themes. Three MBI-HSS subscales were scored as follows: emotional exhaustion (low ≤ 16, moderate/high ≥ 17), depersonalization (low ≤ 5, moderate/high ≥ 6), and reduced personal accomplishment (low ≥ 40, moderate/high ≤ 39).

Participants included a multidisciplinary cohort of breast oncology providers comprised of 14 (70%) physicians and 6 (30%) advanced practice providers. Thirteen completed the MBI-HSS; 5 (38%) scored as moderate/high risk for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and 8 (62%) scored as moderate/high risk for reduced sense of professional achievement. Participant narratives highlighted four themes: (1) age-related considerations complicate care and contribute to workplace stress; (2) systematic barriers to patient care impact burnout; (3) multidisciplinary collaborations promote optimal care and provider well-being; and (4) system-level initiatives could facilitate delivery of high-value care.

In this mixed-methods study of breast oncology providers caring for YA patients, risks for emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of accomplishment were common. Qualitative findings underscore the emotional complexity of caring for this population and suggest that multidisciplinary support may play a crucial role in mitigating risk for burnout.Context Summary:Health care providers' experiences caring for young adults (YAs) aged 18-39 years with breast cancer are underinvestigated. Given high burnout rates among oncologists, this mixed-methods study explores providers' perspectives about how complex care of YAs may impact emotional well-being through (1) semistructured interviews, and (2) the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Of the 20 multidisciplinary breast oncology specialists who participated, 13 completed the MBI-HSS; 5 (38%) scored as moderate/high risk for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and 8 (62%) scored as moderate/high risk for reduced sense of professional achievement. Participant narratives highlighted four themes: (1) age-related considerations complicate care and contribute to workplace stress; (2) systematic barriers to patient care impact burnout; (3) multidisciplinary collaborations promote optimal care and provider well-being; and (4) system-level initiatives could facilitate delivery of high-value care. Findings underscore the complexity of caring for YAs and suggest that multidisciplinary support plays a crucial role in mitigating burnout.