Specialized Survivorship Care for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Addressing Unique Challenges and Needs

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer encounter unique challenges that necessitate specialized survivorship care. This demographic faces an elevated risk of persistent issues such as chronic conditions, secondary cancers, and impaired fertility as a consequence of their disease and its treatment. Moreover, cancer disrupts the developmental trajectory of AYAs, leading to psychosocial hurdles like isolation, mental health concerns, and identity crises, exacerbated by the financial burdens of healthcare. Furthermore, AYAs experience life course disruptions, such as disruptions to educational attainment, interruptions to plans for starting their families, and potential disruptions to employment. Depending on the type of AYA cancer, individuals may also receive care from pediatric cancer centers vs. receiving care as adults, which can be less coordinated. These factors underscore the need for a comprehensive, holistic care framework to support AYAs throughout their survivorship journey.The main aim of this Research Topic is to create awareness and gather evidence on effectively addressing the diverse needs of AYA cancer survivors. Questions central to this research include determining the best practices for ensuring well-coordinated care, developing multidisciplinary teams to cater to AYAs, identifying strategies to better provide psychosocial support to AYAs, understanding the financial burden of AYA cancer care, and developing and implementing effective strategies for communication and education of long-term cancer-related risks.This Research Topic examines the full spectrum of survivorship care needs, restricted to the context of AYAs dealing with cancer. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Long-term health risks and maintenance of cognitive and physical functions- Tailored interventions for psychosocial support- Emotional and mental health impacts of cancer survivorship- Developmental and identity-related challenges- Importance of peer support and social networks- Development and effectiveness of survivorship care plans- Role and impact of multidisciplinary teams for AYA care- Strategies for transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare systems- Screening protocols for late effects and other health monitoring- Approaches to mitigating financial toxicity and providing practical supportPlease note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of the scope of this Research Topic. Topic editors: Neetu Chawla, Antonio Ruggiero Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74804/specialized-survivorship-care-for-adolescent-and-young-adult-cancer-survivors-addressing-unique-challenges-and-needs