Active therapy and models of care for adolescents and young adults with cancer.

The reduction in the cancer mortality rate in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer has lagged behind the reduction noted in children and older adults. Studies investigating reasons for this are limited but causes appear to be multifactorial. Host factors such as developmental stage, compliance, and tolerance to therapy; provider factors such as lack of awareness of cancer in AYA and referral patterns; differences in disease biology and treatment strategies; low accrual onto clinical trials; and lack of psychosocial support and education programs for AYA all likely play a role. Recommendations for change from a recent international workshop include education of physicians and patients concerning AYA cancer, improved cooperation between pediatric and adult centers, age-appropriate psychosocial support services, programs to help AYA with issues relevant to them, dedicated AYA hospital space, improved accrual to clinical trials, the use of technology to educate patients and enhance communication between patients and the health care team, and ensuring that resident and fellowship training programs provide adequate education in AYA oncology. The longer term goal is to develop AYA oncology into a distinct subspecialist discipline within oncology. The ideal model of care would incorporate medical care, psychosocial support services, and a physical environment that are age-appropriate. When this is not feasible, the development of "virtual units" connecting patients to the health care team or a combination of physical and virtual models are alternative options. The assessment of outcome measures is necessary to determine whether the interventions implemented result in improved survival and better quality of life, and are cost-effective.

Ramphal R ，Meyer R ，Schacter B ，Rogers P ，Pinkerton R ... -  《CANCER》

Adolescent and young adult oncology training for health professionals: a position statement.

Hayes-Lattin B ，Mathews-Bradshaw B ，Siegel S 《-》

Providing developmentally appropriate psychosocial care to adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

To deliver developmentally appropriate psychosocial care, the key developmental tasks facing adolescents and young adults (AYA) need to be taken into consideration. These include establishing autonomy from parents; a personal set of values and identity; strong peer relationships, including intimate and sexual relationships; and obtaining adequate preparation to join the workforce. To minimize the amount of disruption caused by the cancer experience and to maximize the health-related quality of life of AYA patients, young individuals with cancer need opportunities to participate as much as possible in typical AYA activities and to master the developmental tasks of this life stage. Promoting a sense of normalcy is essential. To achieve this, the health care environment must be flexible and recognize the important role of peers. Informational and practical supports also are necessary for AYA to stay on track developmentally in the context of coping with cancer. Critical elements of effective AYA psychosocial services should include access to AYA-specific information and support resources, fertility and sexuality counseling, programs to maximize academic and vocational functioning, and financial support.

D'Agostino NM ，Penney A ，Zebrack B 《-》

The NCI All Ireland Cancer Conference.

Johnston PG ，Daly PA ，Liu E 《-》

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology: the first A.

Bleyer A 《-》