Each year, a significant number of adolescents and young adults (AYAs), aged 15 to 39 years, are faced with a cancer diagnosis—that’s more than 70,000 in the United States. Although cancer prognosis for AYAs has improved over recent decades, survival rates have not advanced at the same rate as other age groups. To better understand the facts and figures associated with these patients, let’s take a closer look at AYA oncology statistics.
Between the ages of 15 and 29, cancer occurrence is 2.7 times more likely than during the first 15 years of life.
Cancer is the number one cause of diseaserelated death in the AYA population.
Overall relative risk of developing a second malignancy for patients aged 0 to 39 ranges from 2.37 to 6.13.
AYA cancer survivors often face infertility. Following cancer treatments, a man’s semen analysis will usually improve within 1 to 3 years after he completes cancer treatment, if sperm production recovery is possible. For a female survivor who completed puberty before starting treatment, her period should return within 6 months of finishing treatment. If it does not return within a year, there may be infertility issues.
Many AYA survivors experience increased risk of suicidal thoughts and a higher risk of depression related to chronic health conditions that affect quality of life. Approximately 16% of young adult survivors suffer posttraumatic stress disorder.
In order of frequency, the 10 most common types of cancer are breast cancer, lymphoma (non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin), melanoma, sarcoma, gynecologic cancers of the ovary and cervix, thyroid cancer, testicular cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, and brain tumors. These types account for 90% of the cancers in the AYA age group.
Sources
http://stupidcancer.com/about/stats.shtml; www.aamhf.com/CCJRoot/v15n1/pdf/55.pdf; http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/aya/reports; http://www.fhcrc.org/en/treatment/survivorship/survival-strategies/young-adult-survivors.htm; http://www.livestrong.org/Get-Help/Learn-About-Cancer/Cancer-Support-Topics/Physical-Effects-of-Cancer/Male-Infertility; http://www.livestrong.org/Get-Help/Learn-About-Cancer/Cancer-Support-Topics/Physical-Effects-of-Cancer/Female-Infertility; http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Cancer.Net+Feature+Articles/Expert+Informatio n+from+ASCO/ASCO+Expert+Corner%3A+ Young+Adults+With+Cancer.
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