Cross-sectional study of symptom burden in adolescents and young adults with cancer

In recent years, the incidence of cancer in younger people has been increasing. Analysis among participants of the E2C2 study at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) investigated the symptom burden in adolescents and young adults (AYAs, age 15-39 years) with cancer compared with older adults with cancer. AYAs, compared with older adults, experienced higher rates of moderate and severe anxiety and depression and lower rates of moderate and severe fatigue and physical function impairment, whereas there were no significant differences for pain or sleep disturbance. The authors conclude that interventions focused on mental health are needed for AYAs with cancer.