Does age matter? Comparing post-treatment psychosocial outcomes in young adult and older adult cancer survivors with their cancer-free peers
Open accessAbstract
Objective: Adolescents and young adult cancer survivors (AYA) are a unique subpopulation with high levels of distress and unmet need. To date, studies have not disentangled distress due to developmental life stage from distress due to cancer survivorship. This population‐based study allowed a direct comparison between AYA cancer survivors, older adult (OA) cancer survivors, and their cancer‐free peers. Methods: We combined 4 annual cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, 2007‐2010) to obtain a final sample of 239 316 respondents. We dichotomized the total sample into AYA (15‐39 years, n = 83 770) and OA (40+, n = 155 546). Two standardized questions identified cancer survivors (n = 14 592). The self‐reported outcomes of interest included self‐perceived health and mental health, and health care professional diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders. We used weighted logistic regression models to examine for associations, including an interaction term to assess for effect modification by age. Results: After adjusting for confounders, cancer survivorship in AYAs was strongly associated with higher prevalence of both mood (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.44‐2.77) and anxiety (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.70‐2.86) disorders as compared to their cancer‐free peers. OA survivors had a weaker association in the same direction (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01‐1.21 and OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02‐1.30, respectively). AYA cancer survivors reported higher levels of poor self‐perceived mental health than their cancer‐free peers (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.03‐2.14), while there was no significant difference from cancer‐free peers for OAs (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92‐1.15). Conclusions: AYA cancer survivors experience a significantly higher risk of psychosocial distress than both their cancer‐free peers and OA survivors.
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Achieving large sample sizes in young adult psychosocial oncology is difficult.
“First, achieving large sample sizes in YA psychosocial oncology is difficult.31”
From Cancer during a pandemic: A psychosocial telehealth intervention for young adults (2022) · cites this paper as [31]
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References 29 · Cited by 81
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- [33]33. Fern L, Whelan J. National Cancer Research Institute Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Studies Group: the United Kingdom approach to research. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2013;2:161-166.
- [34]34. Osborn M, Little C, Bowering S, Orme L. Youth cancer services in Aus- tralia: development and implementation. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2013;2:118-124.
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- Authors
- Lang, M. J., Giese‐Davis, J., Patton, S. B., & Campbell, D. J. T.
- Affiliations
- University of Calgary (CA)
- Department of Medicine CSM, UofC Calgary Canada
- Corresponding author
- Campbell, David J.T.
- Venue
- Psycho-Oncology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-08-04
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1404-1411
- ISSN
- 1057-9249 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1611
- OpenAlex
- W2733364000
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 8.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psycho-Oncology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- The Enbridge Research Chair for Psychosocial Oncology, Alberta Cancer Foundation
- Psychosocial Oncology Research Training Program, McGill University
- Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
- Keywords
- adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, psychosocial distress, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, health perception, mental health, age differences, effect modification by age
- MeSH terms
- Cancer Survivors, Adolescent, Age Factors, Aged, Anxiety, Canada, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Neoplasms, Peer Group, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress, Psychological, Prevalence, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult
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