Prioritizing the Well-being of Young Cancer Survivors 

The progress in medical sciences has dramatically improved the survival probability of youth affected by cancer. Nevertheless, young cancer survivors continue experiencing side effects even months or years after therapy completion, both physical and psychological. From a psychological perspective, cancer can be considered as a trauma impacting individuals’ mood and future perspectives. A recent meta-analysis of Lee et al. reported that children, adolescent, and young adult patients with cancer are at increased lifetime risk of severe symptoms or a disorder of depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders, especially patients receiving treatment and survivors. Concerning young cancer survivors, being older than 25 years, having lower income, less education, being unemployed, and lacking social supports had higher risks of poor mental health. Apart from depression and anxiety, young cancer survivors frequently report fear of cancer recurrence, related to the possibility that cancer could come back or progress.