Active therapy and models of care for adolescents and young adults with cancer

The reduction in the cancer mortality rate in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer has lagged behind the reduction noted in children and older adults. Studies investigating reasons for this are limited but causes appear to be multifactorial. Host factors such as developmental stage, compliance, and tolerance to therapy; provider factors such as lack of awareness of cancer in AYA and referral patterns; differences in disease biology …