Pediatric & AYA Oncology Research Updates

Using SEER program data, investigators report overall improvement in 5-year relative survival for childhood and adolescent cancer patients between 1975 and 2020 and a concurrent decline in the standardized mortality ratio. Among those who survived to 5 years postdiagnosis, 5-year relative survival improved for several cancer types including lymphoid leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and central nervous system tumors.

Using a Japanese claims database of 1,459 adolescent and young adult (AYA, 15–39 years) cancer patients initiating anthracycline therapy, 60.4% received baseline echocardiography, with much lower proportions undergoing monitoring during treatment and 41.0% having echocardiography within one year after therapy. Baseline echocardiography was more likely in younger AYAs, males, patients with lymphoma/leukemia/bone sarcoma or prior heart failure, and at designated cancer hospitals, and less likely for breast cancer, clinic settings versus university hospitals, and with certain anthracycline agents, indicating suboptimal and unequal cardiac monitoring.

In a pilot randomized controlled trial of 42 post‑treatment adolescent and young adult cancer survivors with clinically significant fatigue, a 6‑week self‑administered relaxing acupressure protocol (27 min daily) was feasible to deliver but adherence was variable; both relaxing and sham acupressure groups experienced clinically meaningful reductions in fatigue at 6 and 10 weeks with no significant between‑group differences. The authors note acceptability and preliminary benefit but recommend optimizing dose and adherence strategies in future trials.