Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Nov 15;127(22):4277-4286.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.33793. Epub 2021 Jul 26.

Survival outcomes for cancer types with the highest death rates for adolescents and young adults, 1975-2016

Denise Riedel Lewis  1 , Elizabeth J Siembida  2 , Nita L Seibel  3 , Ashley Wilder Smith  1 , Angela B Mariotto  1
Affiliations
Free article

Survival outcomes for cancer types with the highest death rates for adolescents and young adults, 1975-2016

Denise Riedel Lewis et al. Cancer. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: Five-year relative survival for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer diagnosed at the ages of 15 to 39 years is 85%. Survival rates vary considerably according to the cancer type. The purpose of this study was to analyze long-term survival trends for cancer types with the highest mortality among AYAs to determine where the greatest burden is and to identify areas for future research.

Methods: Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry and the National Center for Health Statistics, the authors examined the incidence, mortality, and survival for the 9 cancer types with the highest mortality rates in this age group from 1975 to 2016. JPSurv, new survival trend software, was used in the analysis.

Results: Results suggested significant improvements in 5-year relative survival for brain and other nervous system tumors, colon and rectum cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all P values < .05). Limited or no improvement in survival was found for female breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and bone and joint sarcomas.

Conclusions: Five-year relative survival for multiple cancer types in AYAs has improved, but some common cancer types in this group still show limited survival improvements (eg, ovarian cancer). Survival improvements in colorectal cancer have been overshadowed by its rising incidence, which suggests a substantial disease burden. Future research should focus on female breast, bone, ovarian, and cervical cancers, which have seen minimal or no improvements in survival.

Lay summary: Survival trends for adolescents and young adults with cancer are presented from a 40-year period. Although survival progress is noted for brain cancer, lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and colon and rectum cancer, the incidence of colon and rectum cancer remains high. Minimal progress is evident for female breast, bone, ovarian, and cervical cancers, which are in need of renewed focus.

Keywords: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER); adolescent and young adult; cancer; epidemiology; survival trends; survivorship.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer Among Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) (Ages 15-39). National Cancer Institute. Published 2020. Accessed August 11, 2020. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/aya.html
    1. Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Progress Review Group. Closing the Gap: Research and Care Imperatives for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer. US Department of Health and Human Services. Published 2006. Accessed July 19, 2021. https://www.cancer.gov/types/aya/research/ayao-august-2006.pdf
    1. Smith AW, Seibel NL, Lewis DR, et al. Next steps for adolescent and young adult oncology workshop: an update on progress and recommendations for the future. Cancer. 2016;122:988-999.
    1. Keegan THM, Ries L, Barr RD, et al. Comparison of cancer survival trends in the United States of adolescents and young adults with those in children and older adults. Cancer. 2016;122:1009-1016.
    1. Lewis DR, Seibel NL, Smith AW, Stedman MR. Adolescent and young adult cancer survival. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2014;49:228-235.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources