(1) Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who have been diagnosed with and treated for cancer have unique healthcare needs, but more research is needed to inform developmentally targeted cancer care for this population. The purpose of the current analyses was to describe the physical and psychosocial concerns and experiences of AYA cancer survivors during the post-treatment phase. (2) Methods: A national survey was conducted by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to evaluate the experiences and unmet needs of cancer survivors (≥18 years) within the first 5 years following cancer treatment. The current analyses were conducted on the AYA survivor population (18–34 years). (3) Results: A total of 575 surveys were completed by AYAs. Of these, 61% were female, 51% were married/partnered, and 52% were 1–3 years post treatment. Approximately three-quarters report their physical or emotional health as good/very good. Overall, 88% reported at least one physical concern [mean of 3.98+2.11 physical concerns (range 0–9)], 90% reported at least one emotional concern [mean of 3.77+1.75 emotional concern (range 0–6)], and 79% reported at least one practical challenge [mean of 2.39+1.28 practical concerns (range 0–5)]. The most common concerns were anxiety/worry about cancer returning (83%), fatigue/tiredness (78%), and depression/loss of interest in daily activities (66%). On average, 43% of those reporting a concern sought help. Common reasons for not seeking help included not wanting to ask, being told that it was normal to feel the way they did, or embarrassment. Of those who did seek help, 37% encountered difficulty obtaining assistance. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that post-treatment AYA cancer survivors have a high rate and number of physical, psychosocial, and practical concerns and are often not seeking or receiving help to address these. Proactive approaches to characterizing and eliminating barriers to obtaining appropriate care are needed.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) represent an overlooked population in cancer survivorship care. Identifying the needs of AYAs can guide the development of tailored programs for this population. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive analysis to identify biopsychosocial factors associated with AYA post-treatment supportive care needs and unmet needs using data obtained from the Experiences of Cancer Patients in Transitions Study of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, in collaboration with cancer agencies in the 10 Canadian provinces. The analysis focused on data from n = 530 AYAs between the ages of 18 and 34 who had undergone treatment within the past 5 years. Respondents reported a median of two moderate to big (MTB) physical needs (out of 9) and one unmet physical need, two MTB emotional needs (out of 6) with two unmet MTB emotional needs, and one (out of 5) practical need reported and one unmet MTB practical need. We found some common associations across supportive care domains. Income (lower) and more complex treatment were associated with high needs and unmet needs across the three domains. Respondents with a family doctor who was “very involved” in their cancer care had a lower number of unmet physical and emotional needs. Identifying those at risk of supportive care needs and developing tailored pathways in which they are proactively connected with tailored and appropriate resources and programs may help to reduce the number of unmet needs and improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.

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Adolescents have unique health needs and are known to demonstrate different and often inconsistent patterns of health care utilization. In Canada, rates of physician visits tend to decline as children approach adolescence (1). While some American adolescents forego care due to lack of insurance, developmental influences known to affect rates of access to care include perceived inconvenience or lack of time to access services, concerns about confidentiality, and perceptions of health care settings and professionals (2). Forty per cent to 60% of Canadian adolescents who are worried about a health-related issue have not consulted a health care practitioner even though they would like to (2). Among adolescents who do access care, many report ongoing unmet health needs (3). Adolescents who do not have a primary care physician have a lower likelihood of receiving any type of health care and of receiving symptom-specific health care, independent of socio-demographic characteristics (4). These data are of particular concern given that many of the factors that influence adolescent morbidity and mortality are potentially modifiable (3). It is, therefore, imperative to explore innovative and collaborative approaches to the delivery of health care to youth. Policy makers, health care professionals and youth service providers should advocate for school-based health centres (SBHCs) to address this urgent need.

Adolescents and Young adults (AYAs: 15–39 years) diagnosed with cancer face unique medical and psychosocial challenges requiring specialized care. This study conducted an environmental scan of AYA-specific programming and services currently offered across Canadian tertiary care centres. Key informants from pediatric and adult cancer centres in Canada reported on program logistics, AYA specialized staff and training opportunities, and collaboration between centres, funding, and specific areas of interest for AYA care such as palliative care, fertility, fatigue, and sexual health. Surveys were completed by 13/16 (81%) pediatric sites and 19/23 (83%) adult sites. Only about half of pediatric sites (n = 8/13) and adult sites (n = 9/19) who responded reported offering any AYA-specific cancer services or programming. One third of centres without programming reported to be working on developing programming. Only 6 sites reported to offer specialized AYA training. Several barriers were reported, such as the need for collaboration among institutions and improvement of oncofertility services. Significant disparities exist regarding geographic availability of services, the range of services available, and the populations served. Findings will guide researchers, health professionals, and provincial health authorities in the development of highquality and equitable services and programs for AYAs diagnosed with cancer across Canada.