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CONCLUSION
Although, over the last few decades, survival for patients with cancer has improved greatly, the same progress has not been made for AYA patients. For those patients who have been enrolled in clinical trials, they appear to have higher 5-year survival rates than those who have not participated in trials. Yet AYAs as a group have much lower enrollment in clinical trials when compared with children and older adults. Improved trial enrollment will likely lead to improved understanding of cancers in this population, and hopefully translate to better outcomes.
Our systematic review demonstrates that clinical trial enrollment for AYAs has made little progress in recent years, likely due to low trial availability and accessibility, as well as a lack of patient knowledge. In order to overcome these barriers, we have introduced the 4 Ps Conceptual “Onion Skin” Model. More specifically, we have discussed opening more AYA centers, improving collaboration among cooperative groups to open more AYA-specific trials, and better educating patients and providers about the benefits of participating in clinical trials. More studies need to be performed to better understand which specific interventions may help influence AYA patients to enroll in clinical trials.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
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Source: Clinical Oncology in Adolescents and Young Adults
Originally published January 19, 2016.
