From Diagnosis to Survivorship: Addressing Challenges Facing Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer

Adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15–39 years) with cancer face unique and significant challenges that traditional pediatric or adult care models are not ideally equipped to address. A cancer diagnosis disrupts crucial developmental milestones, including identity formation, relationships, career establishment, and financial independence. AYAs may face early death, social isolation, and fears regarding future treatment side effects, recurrence, and palliation.Their care requires specialized attention to developmental, fertility, and mental health impacts. Treatment decision-making is particularly complex for this age group. There is a need for specialized AYA oncology care, emphasizing issues like sexual health, vocational reintegration, and management of long-term side effects.This Research Topic aims to advance AYA cancer care worldwide across the full continuum, from diagnosis and active treatment to survivorship and end-of-life care, utilizing multidisciplinary, developmentally appropriate, and equitable approaches.We welcome submissions from all economic environments (high- and low- and middle-income countries) addressing the following themes (including, but not limited to):1. Enhancement of AYA-specific care delivery models and decision-making support, including but not limited to:a. Design, implementation, and evaluation of models such as dedicated AYA units, multidisciplinary teams, navigation, and telehealth/remote monitoring (e.g., research on the impact of integrated AYA programs and dedicated AYA units on patient satisfaction, quality of life, and treatment adherence);b. Testing AYA-tailored decision aids and communication strategies that enhance shared decision-making, trial enrollment, adherence, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and experience of care (e.g., develop and test AYA-specific decision aids and communication strategies), including the impact and use of social media.2. Strengthening the AYA oncology specialized workforce, including but not limited to:a. Identifying barriers and enablers for accredited AYA oncology training and credentialing (e.g., investigate barriers and facilitators to the uptake and implementation of accredited AYA Oncology training programs);b. Comparing funding/incentive models that attract and retain skilled professionals (e.g., identify effective funding models and incentives to attract and retain specialists);c. Assessing the impact of competency-based teams (oncology, nursing, psychosocial, fertility, rehabilitation) on clinical and service outcomes (e.g., evaluate the impact of credentialed professionals on patient outcomes and program development).3. Critical AYA unmet psychosocial and survivorship needs, including but not limited to:Addressing fertility and sexual health, mental health, neurocognition, return to school/work, financial toxicity, late-effects surveillance, and end-of-life care.4. Basic science that provides a better understanding of cancers affecting the AYA population, as well as short- and long-term treatment toxicities experienced by AYAThrough the publication of basic and clinical research as well as concept papers and reviews, this Research Topic hopes to address these themes across the AYA care continuum. We encourage pragmatic trials, implementation studies, and real-world evidence that report feasibility, cost, and scalability—particularly in low- and middle-income settings and underserved populations. Topic editors: Jonathan D Fish, Cristina Daniela Stefan, Michael W. Bishop Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/75047/from-diagnosis-to-survivorship-addressing-challenges-facing-adolescents-and-young-adults-with-cancer