Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In recent years, there has been an increased research focus on adolescent and young adult AYA cancer patients. Few longitudinal studies have taken into consideration the specifics of their life situation and the status of psychosocial care services for this population. Our ongoing study aims to determine the psychosocial life and supportive care situation of AYA cancer patients, to describe risk groups, and to develop recommendations for their psycho-oncological care and support.
AYA-specific concerns e. Participants are recruited in 16 German acute care hospitals, four rehabilitation clinics, and from two German state tumor registries. In summary, our longitudinal study will create a large database encompassing all malignant tumor entities and including detailed information about the distress and quality of life, specific problems, and specific support needs of AYA cancer patients at two different points in time post-diagnosis.
The information we gather about existing psychosocial care and patient preferences and desires concerning psycho-oncological care will be used to develop recommendations for psycho-oncological care providers.
Each year about AYA patients differ in terms of biological, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics from other patient groups both younger and older than them [ 6 ]. While there are a number of studies on the psychosocial life of cancer patients who are either children or further into adulthood, so far, little empirical data has been collected on patients between the ages of 15 and 39 years old [ 8 β 10 ].
The few studies that do exist show that AYA cancer patients experience many specific sequelae after cancer diagnosis and treatment such as: loss of fertility [ 11 , 12 ], hair loss, other changes in body image, and fatique [ 13 , 14 ], as well as further difficulties related to social relationships, employment, educational attainment, and financial stability [ 15 , 16 ].
