Adolescents and young adults with cancer care in Asia: The joint ESMO/SIOPE/SIOP ASIA survey

Adolescents and young adults (aged 15–25 years) diagnosed with cancer have unique medical and psychosocial experiences and care needs, distinct from those of paediatric and older adult patients. Since 2011, the Australian Youth Cancer Services have provided developmentally appropriate, multidisciplinary and comprehensive care to these young patients, facilitated by national service coordination and activity data collection and monitoring. This paper reports on how the Youth Cancer Services have conceptualised and delivered quality youth cancer care in four priority areas: clinical trial participation, oncofertility, psychosocial care and survivorship. National activity data collected by the Youth Cancer Services between 2016–17 and 2019–20 are used to illustrate how service monitoring processes have facilitated improvements in coordination and accountability across multiple indicators of quality youth cancer care, including clinical trial participation, access to fertility information and preservation, psychosocial screening and care and the transition from active treatment to survivorship. Accounts of both service delivery and monitoring and evaluation processes within the Australian Youth Cancer Services provide an exemplar of how coordinated initiatives may be employed to deliver, monitor and improve quality cancer care for adolescents and young adults.

Download Full-text

A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Cancer Care of Adolescents and Young Adults

Current Oncology ◽

10.3390/curroncol28040278 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 3201-3213

Author(s):

Kaitlyn Howden ◽

Camille Glidden ◽

Razvan G. Romanescu ◽

Andrew Hatala ◽

Ian Scott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Treatment ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

The Impact

We aimed to describe the negative and positive impacts of changes in cancer care delivery due to COVID-19 pandemic for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in Canada, as well as the correlates of negative impact and their perspectives on optimization of cancer care. We conducted an online, self-administered survey of AYAs with cancer living in Canada between January and February 2021. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with a negative impact on cancer care. Of the 805 participants, 173 (21.5%) experienced a negative impact on their cancer care including delays in diagnostic tests (11.9%), cancer treatment (11.4%), and appointments (11.1%). A prior diagnosis of mental or chronic physical health condition, an annual income of <20,000 CAD, ongoing cancer treatment, and province of residence were independently associated with a negative cancer care impact (p-value < 0.05). The majority (n = 767, 95.2%) stated a positive impact of the changes to cancer care delivery, including the implementation of virtual healthcare visits (n = 601, 74.6%). Pandemic-related changes in cancer care delivery have unfavorably and favorably influenced AYAs with cancer. Interventions to support AYAs who are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of the pandemic, and the thoughtful integration of virtual care into cancer care delivery models is essential.

Download Full-text

Care of adolescents and young adults with cancer in Asia: results of an ESMO/SIOPE/SIOP Asia survey

ESMO Open ◽

10.1136/esmoopen-2018-000467 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. e000467 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chi Kong Li ◽

Rashmi Dalvi ◽

Kan Yonemori ◽

Hany Ariffin ◽

Chuhl Joo Lyu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

European Society ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Insurance Coverage ◽

Paediatric Oncology ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination ◽

Cancer Services

BackgroundAdolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer require dedicated management encompassing both adult and paediatric cancer services. Following a European survey, the European Society for Medical Oncology, the European Society for Paediatric Oncology and the Asian continental branch of International Society of Paediatric Oncology undertook a similar survey to assess AYA cancer care across Asia.MethodsA link to the online survey was sent to healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Asia interested in AYA cancer care. Questions covered the demographics and training of HCPs, their understanding of AYA definition, availability and access to specialised AYA services, the support and advice offered during and after treatment, and factors of treatment non-compliance.ResultsWe received 268 responses from 22 Asian countries. There was a striking variation in the definition of AYA (median lower age 15 years, median higher age 29 years). The majority of the respondents (78%) did not have access to specialised cancer services and 73% were not aware of any research initiatives for AYA. Over two-thirds (69%) had the option to refer their patients for psychological and/or nutritional support and most advised their patients on a healthy lifestyle. Even so, 46% did not ask about smokeless tobacco habits and only half referred smokers to a smoking cessation service. Furthermore, 29% did not promote human papillomavirus vaccination for girls and 17% did not promote hepatitis B virus vaccination for high-risk individuals. In terms of funding, 69% reported governmental insurance coverage, although 65% reported that patients self-paid, at least partially. Almost half (47%) reported treatment non-compliance or abandonment as an issue, attributed to financial and family problems (72%), loss of follow-up (74%) and seeking of alternative treatments (77%).ConclusionsLack of access to and suboptimal delivery of AYA-specialised cancer care services across Asia pose major challenges and require specific interventions.

Download Full-text

Worldwide benefits of improving cancer care for adolescents and young adults in LMICs

The Lancet Oncology ◽

10.1016/s1470-2045(20)30101-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 487-489

Author(s):

Michael P Osborn ◽

Rebecca H Johnson

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults

Download Full-text

Variations in cancer care for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with ductal carcinoma in situ

The Breast Journal ◽

10.1111/tbj.12999 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 555-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amy Voci ◽

Bradley Bandera ◽

Emily Ho ◽

Jihey Lee ◽

Melanie Goldfarb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults

Download Full-text

Cancer care for adolescents and young adults Daniel Kelly Cancer care for adolescents and young adults and Faith Gibson (Eds) Blackwell Publishing 254pp £24.99 978 1 4051 3094 3 1405130946

Nursing Standard ◽

10.7748/ns.23.28.31.s41 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 23 (28) ◽

pp. 31-31

Author(s):

Pauline Carson

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults

Download Full-text

Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults

10.1002/9780470697740 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults

Download Full-text

Seeking Ways to Improve Cancer Care for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Oncology Times ◽

10.1097/01.cot.0000465162.19939.7a ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (8) ◽

pp. 11-13

Author(s):

Peggy Eastman

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults

Download Full-text

Individual and Nationwide Costs for Cancer Care During the First Year After Diagnosis Among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults in Japan

JCO Oncology Practice ◽

10.1200/op.21.00364 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. OP.21.00364

Author(s):

Kenji Kishimoto ◽

Susumu Kunisawa ◽

Kiyohide Fushimi ◽

Yuichi Imanaka

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Early Death ◽

Interquartile Range ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

First Year ◽

Limited Information ◽

Cancer Statistics ◽

Leukemia Treatment ◽

The Individual

PURPOSE: There has been limited information on the economic evaluation of children, adolescents, and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. The aim of this study was to estimate the individual and nationwide costs for cancer care during the first year after diagnosis among children and AYAs in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We estimated the direct health care costs for children (0-14 years old) and AYAs (15-29 years old) from the perspective of the public payer. Children and AYAs with newly diagnosed cancer between April 2016 and March 2018 were identified from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination Study Group database to calculate the cost per patient. The nationwide cost was estimated by the bottom-up approach, using stratification by age group, sex, and cancer classification, based on Population Estimates and Cancer Statistics data. RESULTS: A total of 2,939 children and 5,512 AYAs were identified. The median 1-year cost per patient after diagnosis was 2,832,840 (interquartile range, 927,490-9,222,780) JPY (in USD: median, 28,047; interquartile range, 9,183-91,310). The median 1-year cost per patient was higher in children than in AYAs in all cancer classifications. Leukemia, treatment in cancer centers, and early death as well as longer hospital stay were identified to have an impact on 1-year cost per patient after diagnosis. The 1-year nationwide cost after diagnosis was estimated as 34.83 × 109 JPY (344.8 × 106 USD). CONCLUSION: We showed that cancer treatments for both children and AYAs were highly cost-intensive in Japan. Our results suggest the need for further financial and policy evaluation.

Download Full-text