Dual Perspectives on Fertility Information Needs and Clinical Support Barriers in Breast Cancer Care: A Qualitative Investigation

Background The fertility preservation needs of childbearing-age breast cancer patients are frequently overlooked in China, significantly impacting their long-term quality of life. Currently, standardized protocols for fertility information support—including both content frameworks and delivery methods—remain underdeveloped. Methods Based on the Contextual Model of Health Information Seeking, 34 participants were selected from January 2025 to March 2025. We used semi-structured interviews and directed content analysis. Results Fifteen breast cancer patients (childbearing-age, with expressed reproductive goals post-diagnosis) and 13 medical staff from 3 comprehensive cancer hospitals or centers completed the interviews. There were three themes, including Critical Need for Reproductive Health Information, The deep driving force behind information demand, and Fulfillment of fertility information demands entails multifaceted challenges. Conclusion This study adopts a dual-perspective approach (patients and clinicians) to systematically examine fertility-related information needs among childbearing-age breast cancer patients and identify existing barriers in clinical information support systems. It emphasizes the actual information needs of patients in the face of fertility problems. The findings reveal significant gaps in both the content quality and accessibility of existing informational resources. It suggests that in the future, we should improve fertility support services from various angles such as society, medical institutions, and the state, and pay attention to the fertility needs of breast cancer patients in childbearing age.