CHICAGO, IL— Adult and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors face cognitive and sexual late effects from cancer and its treatment, according to data compiled from an online cancer survivorship care planning tool presented at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
AYA cancer survivors “report significant late effects, including perceived cognitive changes and prominent sexual side effects, and these may warrant specific counseling and support,” reported lead study author James Metz, MD, of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and coauthors.
Data were acquired from the www.livestrongcareplan.com Web site cancer survivor care planning tool, which includes questions about late effects of cancer and anticancer treatment.
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AYA respondents, who represented 32% of all survivors using the tool, reported time since cancer diagnosis ranging from less than 1 year to 15 years (median, 2.1 years). The median age of AYA survivors was 30 years (18-35 years).
The most common diagnoses among AYA survivors had been hematologic, breast, and genitourinary cancers.
More than half (54%) reported cognitive changes, and many reported sexual side effects, including erectile dysfunction (7% of males) and vaginal dryness and shrinkage (47% of females).
“AYA survivors are prominent users of this tool, although their diagnosis profile differs from that of older users,” Dr. Metz noted.
Abstract #9605
