Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology is typically recognized as clinical care or research that is focused on individuals diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 to 39 years old, though varying definitions are applied in different countries/regions. Adolescence marks a unique stage in neurocognitive, emotional, and psychosocial development. Being diagnosed with cancer during a period of significant physical and psychological alterations can create an overwhelming amount of stress to the affected individual, as well as their caregivers (a role often assumed by a member of their family, companion, or a close friend).
Current evidence has shown that AYAs experience inferior outcomes compared with pediatric and older adults. There are a host of potential factors contributing to poorer outcomes, including the unique genetic and biologic features of AYA cancers, under-representation in clinical trials, treatment abandonment, and poor adherence to therapy. Although a continual quest to improve the survival rates of AYA cancers is unquestionably necessary, recent effort has also been dedicated to addressing the quality of supportive and survivorship care in this special population. This Research Topic will focus on psychosocial, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes in AYAs throughout the cancer care continuum from diagnosis to long-term survivorship.
For this Research Topic, we invite Original Research and Review articles with a strong focus on, but not limited to, the following:
• Impact of cancer and treatment on AYAs’ cognitive, mental, and social well-being;
• Comparison of outcomes among patients with cancer diagnosed during childhood vs adolescence vs young adulthood;
• Disruption of education, work/career, and functional independence in AYAs;
• Stressors and unmet needs of caregivers and family members;
• Emerging psychological and psychoeducation interventions for AYAs and caregivers;
• Strategies to establish patient-focused and family-centered care for AYAs;
• Ways to better support caregivers of AYAs in their caregiving role.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology is typically recognized as clinical care or research that is focused on individuals diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 to 39 years old, though varying definitions are applied in different countries/regions. Adolescence marks a unique stage in neurocognitive, emotional, and psychosocial development. Being diagnosed with cancer during a period of significant physical and psychological alterations can create an overwhelming amount of stress to the affected individual, as well as their caregivers (a role often assumed by a member of their family, companion, or a close friend).
Current evidence has shown that AYAs experience inferior outcomes compared with pediatric and older adults. There are a host of potential factors contributing to poorer outcomes, including the unique genetic and biologic features of AYA cancers, under-representation in clinical trials, treatment abandonment, and poor adherence to therapy. Although a continual quest to improve the survival rates of AYA cancers is unquestionably necessary, recent effort has also been dedicated to addressing the quality of supportive and survivorship care in this special population. This Research Topic will focus on psychosocial, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes in AYAs throughout the cancer care continuum from diagnosis to long-term survivorship.
For this Research Topic, we invite Original Research and Review articles with a strong focus on, but not limited to, the following:
• Impact of cancer and treatment on AYAs’ cognitive, mental, and social well-being;
• Comparison of outcomes among patients with cancer diagnosed during childhood vs adolescence vs young adulthood;
• Disruption of education, work/career, and functional independence in AYAs;
• Stressors and unmet needs of caregivers and family members;
• Emerging psychological and psychoeducation interventions for AYAs and caregivers;
• Strategies to establish patient-focused and family-centered care for AYAs;
• Ways to better support caregivers of AYAs in their caregiving role.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
