Health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with cancer who received radiation therapy: a scoping review.
PURPOSE: Radiation therapy (RT) is a critical component of treatment for adolescents and young adults (AYAs, age 15-39 years old) diagnosed with cancer. Limited prior studies have focused on AYAs receiving RT despite the potentially burdensome effects of RT. We reviewed the literature to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in AYAs with cancer who received RT. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched in January 2022 to identify studies that analyzed HRQOL measured by patient-reported outcomes in AYAs who received RT. After title (n = 286) and abstract (n = 58) screening and full-text review (n = 19), articles that met eligibility criteria were analyzed. RESULTS: Six studies were analyzed. Two studies included AYAs actively receiving treatment and all included patients in survivorship; time between diagnosis and HRQOL data collection ranged from 3 to > 20 years. Physical and mental health were commonly assessed (6/6 studies) with social health assessed in three studies. AYA-relevant HRQOL needs were rarely assessed: fertility (1/6 studies), financial hardship (1/6), body image (0/6), spirituality (0/6), and sexual health (0/6). No study compared HRQOL between patients actively receiving RT and those post-treatment. None of the studies collected HRQOL data longitudinally. CONCLUSION: HRQOL data in AYAs receiving RT is limited. Future studies examining longitudinal, clinician- vs. patient-reported, and AYA-relevant HRQOL are needed to better understand the unique needs in this population.
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Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Survivorship
- Quality of Life
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Neoplasms
- Mental Health
- Humans
- Adult
- Adolescent
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Survivorship
- Quality of Life
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Neoplasms
- Mental Health
- Humans
- Adult
- Adolescent