Adolescents, Young Adults, and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Focus on the Disease and Treatment
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) affects patients across the life span, from infants to older adults. While ALL is common and curable in children younger than 5 years, ALL gradually decreases in incidence in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) age groups and is characterized by less favorable biologic features. This age-related transition leads to poorer survival rates for AYA with ALL than for those in younger age groups. Improving the treatment outcomes for this subset of patients is a major challenge for oncology researchers today.
In addition to the unique biologic features of the disease, the cancer experience of AYA with ALL is different from younger and older age groups. AYA with cancer have the extra burden of developing their identity, achieving independence, building a career, and establishing social relationships in the midst of the challenges of cancer treatment. Caregivers need an optimal understanding of how cancer affects AYA patients so that support services can enhance AYA’s quality of life and ability to meet developmental milestones during treatment and as long-term cancer survivors.
The goal of this podcast series is to provide an overview of ALL and treatment considerations in the AYA population. The presentation will also focus on the unique psychosocial issues related to AYA with cancer as well as their important survivorship issues.