Young adult leukemia, lymphoma survivors more distressed than older survivors

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to two new studies published in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, researchers from University of Colorado Cancer Center in Denver, Colorado, have found that young adult survivors of leukemia and lymphoma are more likely to report high stress compared with older survivors of the same diseases.

Specifically, researchers found that 45% of patients aged 18-39 years old reported moderate-to-high distress, while 18% of those over 65 years reported the same level of distress. Neither group's distress was affected by time since cancer treatment.

The first study surveyed 477 cancer survivors. Researchers found that survivors under age 40 had the highest prevalence of distress, mostly due patients' fear of cancer recurrence. Survivors were also concerned with the high financial burden.

The second study interviewed 51 survivors of leukemia to better understand their reasons for high distress. Some patients were concerned about the financial burden, while others stressed about how long it would take to fully recover both physically and mentally.

The findings reinforce the importance of identifying those who are most likely to experience elevated stress levels and to understand their reasons for concern so that targeted interventions can be implemented.