Major Academic Cancer Center Research Articles

Derivation and external validation of a simple risk score for predicting severe acute kidney injury after intravenous cisplatin: cohort study

ObjectiveTo develop and externally validate a prediction model for severe cisplatin associated acute kidney injury (CP-AKI).DesignMulticenter cohort study.SettingSix geographically diverse major academic cancer centers across the US.ParticipantsAdults (≥18 years) receiving...

Medication-Related Adverse Events and Discordancies in Cystatin C–Based vs Serum Creatinine–Based Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients With Cancer

Serum creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcr) may overestimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with cancer. Cystatin C-based eGFR (eGFRcys) is an alternative marker of GFR. To determine whether the therapeutic drug levels and adverse events (AEs) associated with renally cleared medications were higher in patients with cancer whose eGFRcys was more than 30% lower than their eGFRcr. This cohort study analyzed adult patients with cancer at 2 major academic cancer centers in Boston, Massachusetts. These patients had their creatinine and cystatin C measured on the same day between May 2010 and January 2022. The date of the first simultaneous eGFRcr and eGFRcys measurement was considered to be the baseline date. The primary exposure was eGFR discordance, defined as an eGFRcys that was more than 30% lower than the eGFRcr. The primary outcome was risk of the following medication-related AEs within 90 days of the baseline date: (1) supratherapeutic vancomycin trough level greater than 30 μg/mL, (2) trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-related hyperkalemia (>5.5 mEq/L), (3) baclofen toxic effect, and (4) supratherapeutic digoxin level (>2.0 ng/mL). For the secondary outcome, a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to compare 30-day survival of those with vs without eGFR discordance. A total of 1869 adult patients with cancer (mean [SD] age, 66 [14] years; 948 males [51%]) had simultaneous eGFRcys and eGFRcr measurement. There were 543 patients (29%) with an eGFRcys that was more than 30% lower than their eGFRcr. Patients with an eGFRcys that was more than 30% lower than their eGFRcr were more likely to experience medication-related AEs compared with patients with concordant eGFRs (defined as eGFRcys within 30% of eGFRcr), including vancomycin levels greater than 30 μg/mL (43 of 179 [24%] vs 7 of 77 [9%]; P = .01), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-related hyperkalemia (29 of 129 [22%] vs 11 of 92 [12%]; P = .07), baclofen toxic effects (5 of 19 [26%] vs 0 of 11; P = .19), and supratherapeutic digoxin levels (7 of 24 [29%] vs 0 of 10; P = .08). The adjusted odds ratio for vancomycin levels more than 30 μg/mL was 2.59 (95% CI, 1.08-7.03; P = .04). Patients with an eGFRcys more than 30% lower than their eGFRcr had an increased 30-day mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.26-3.11; P = .003). Results of this study suggest that among patients with cancer with simultaneous assessment of eGFRcys and eGFRcr, supratherapeutic drug levels and medication-related AEs occurred more commonly in those with an eGFRcys more than 30% lower than their eGFRcr. Future prospective studies are needed to improve and personalize GFR estimation and medication dosing in patients with cancer.

Patient Reported Factors Influencing Decisions on Radiotherapy vs. Mohs Surgery for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer of Cosmetically Challenging Head and Neck Sites at a Rural Radiation Satellite Facility

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Regional satellite radiotherapy facilities of major academic cancer centers serve cancer patients in rural communities well by bringing high-quality radiation treatments closer to home. Non-melanoma skin cancer is one of the most common cancer types treated at our satellite facility in rural upstate New York. Here we report outcomes of a telephone questionnaire and investigate factors that influence patient decision making between surgery and radiation for post-biopsy treatment of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers (NMSC) of the head and neck (H&N). We also report treatment outcomes after radiation therapy (RT) for NMSC in cosmetically challenging areas of H&N, at a rural RT facility of our academic medical center. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> Patients with NMSC of the H&N that were deemedat risk for poor cosmetic outcome with traditional resection, have been given the option for RT or Mohs surgery. We identified 79 patients that elected to undergo RT at our rural clinic from 2017-2021. 47 patients completed an 8-question telephone survey. We asked: On a scale from 1 (unimportant) to 5 (very important), how much did the following factors: overall health, medication concerns, cosmetic outcomes, fear of pain, healing concern, transportation concern (distance to surgery vs. RT facility), prior history of NMSC, and prior surgical experience, influence your decision to have RT instead of Mohs surgery. The average distance from patient's primary residence to a Mohs surgeon and to the RT facility was measured using Google maps. <h3>Results</h3> The average age was 76 y/o with 77% male. There was a 70%/30% split between BCC and SCC. 91% were T1 stage, and all were Caucasian. A total of 62 sites were treated with 77%/23% being treated with orthovoltage vs. electrons. There was a local recurrence in 2 patients with a 96% LC rate over a 28m median follow up time. Physician reported cosmetic outcomes were satisfactory or excellent in 94% of cases, and 98% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment. Concerns about transportation, overall health, and cosmetic outcomes were the top 3 factors in choosing RT over surgery, with average scores of 4.47, 3.30, and 2.91 respectively (1-5 scale). The average distance for patients to RT facility vs. a Mohs surgeon was significantly shorter, 9.7 miles vs. 32.6 miles (p<0.05). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Our experience with RT for H&N NMSC treated at our rural satellite facility shows excellent local control, cosmetic outcomes, and patient satisfaction. While Mohs surgery remains one of the preferred options for managing cosmetically challenging NMSC, many patients still prefer RT. In our rural, elderly cohort, we have identified that concerns about transportation is the primary factor for patients electing to undergo RT over surgery.

The Acknowledge-Normalize-Partner (ANP) Framework: A novel empathic communication tool for oncology nurses.

To describe the development and implementation of a novel tool designed to enhance nurse-patient communication in a major academic cancer center, which nurses can learn quickly, incorporate into their primary palliative care practice, and broadly disseminate in order to improve the patient experience. An evidence-based empathic communication tool and educational program were designed to provide essential skills to oncology nurses in having discussions with patients about their personal values. Evaluation included nurse focus groups, pre- and post-course evaluations and interviews, and patient questionnaires. Nurses were satisfied with the educational program and found the communication tool effective in a variety of clinical situations including discussions about personal values. Patients reported increased occurrences of these discussions when nurses utilized the framework (97% vs. 58%, p < 0.0001) and a higher quality of clinician communication (mean [SD] from 0 = very worst to 10 = very best: 7.18 [2.3] vs. 5.04 [2.9], p = 0.001). Skilled, empathic communication is an essential component of high-quality primary palliative care. Oncology nurses are well suited to lead communication and provide this care as part of an interprofessional team. The training and tool described here are targeted and efficient, and prepare nurses to respond skillfully to emotion while facilitating important discussions about patient values.

Fully Balanced SSFP Without an Endorectal Coil for Postimplant QA of MRI-Assisted Radiosurgery (MARS) of Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Study

To investigate fully balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) with optimized acquisition protocols for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based postimplant quality assessment of low-dose-rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy without an endorectal coil (ERC). Seventeen patients at a major academic cancer center who underwent MRI-assisted radiosurgery (MARS) LDR prostate cancer brachytherapy were imaged with moderate, high, or very high spatial resolution fully bSSFP MRIs without using an ERC. Between 1 and 3 signal averages (NEX) were acquired with acceleration factors (R) between 1 and 2, with the goal of keeping scan times between 4 and 6 minutes. Acquisitions with R >1 were reconstructed with parallel imaging and compressed sensing (PICS) algorithms. Radioactive seeds were identified by 3 medical dosimetrists. Additionally, some of the MRI techniques were implemented and tested at a community hospital; 3 patients underwent MARS LDR prostate brachytherapy and were imaged without an ERC. Increasing the in-plane spatial resolution mitigated partial volume artifacts and improved overall seed and seed marker visualization at the expense of reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The reduced SNR as a result of imaging at higher spatial resolution and without an ERC was partially compensated for by the multi-NEX acquisitions enabled by PICS. Resultant image quality was superior to the current clinical standard. All 3 dosimetrists achieved near-perfect precision and recall for seed identification in the 17 patients. The 3 postimplant MRIs acquired at the community hospital were sufficient to identify 208 out of 211 seeds implanted without reference to computed tomography (CT). Acquiring postimplant prostate brachytherapy MRI without an ERC has several advantages including better patient tolerance, lower costs, higher clinical throughput, and widespread access to precision LDR prostate brachytherapy. This prospective study confirms that the use of an ERC can be circumvented with fully bSSFP and advanced MRI scan techniques in a major academic cancer center and community hospital, potentially enabling postimplant assessment of MARS LDR prostate brachytherapy without CT.

Advance care planning and terminal intensive care unit admissions for cancer patients: We can do better.

e23000 Background: Terminal oncology intensive care unit (ICU) admissions are associated with high healthcare costs and decreased quality of life. Chemotherapy can be given in non-curative settings to optimize symptom control, but use of it at the end of life does not improve longevity. In addition, goals of care are too often not addressed for patients at high risk of death. Methods: We carried out a retrospective review identifying patients of a large academic cancer center who were admitted to and expired in an ICU between January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. Results: 120 patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 58 years. Only 15.0% (n = 18) of all patients had advance directives. The majority of patients (94.1%, n = 113) were FULL CODE on admission. Median duration of admission was 10 days. Median time to death from ICU admission was 7.5 days. 65.0% (n = 78) of all patients were intubated, while 15.0% (n = 15) received CPR. 58.3% (n = 70) of the study population had solid malignancies; of note, 97.1% (n = 68) of these patients were metastatic at presentation and had a median ECOG performance status of 2. Patients with metastatic solid tumors typically have a more indolent course of progression compared to patients with hematologic malignancies. However, only 23.5% (n = 16) had discussed goals of care or code status with their outpatient oncologists, despite many seeing them within the last month prior to admission (83.8%, n = 57). Similarly, only 4.0% (n = 2) of patients with hematologic malignancies had advance care planning discussions with their oncologists prior to their terminal ICU admission. 27.5% (n = 33) of all patients had an inpatient palliative care consult. The inpatient pulmonary/critical care team had a high rate of inpatient code status transitions, with 85.6% (n = 97) of FULL CODE admissions transitioning to DNR/DNI. Conclusions: These findings reflect contemporary practice at a major academic cancer center. Despite most patients having regular contact with their outpatient oncologists, the intensity of health care utilization noted highlights a need to optimize recognition of patients at high risk of death and to engage patients in advance care planning discussions to avoid terminal ICU admissions.

Prior Authorization for Medications in a Breast Oncology Practice: Navigation of a Complex Process.

The cost and burden associated with prior authorization (PA) for specialty medications are concerns for oncologists, but the impact of the PA process on care delivery has not been well described. We examined PA processes and approval patterns within a high-volume breast oncology clinic at a major academic cancer center. We met with institutional staff to create a PA workflow and process map. We then abstracted pharmacy and medical records for all patients with breast cancer (N = 279) treated at our institution who required a PA between May and November 2015 (324 prescriptions). We examined PA approval rates, time to approval, and associations of these outcomes with the type of medication being prescribed, patient demographics, and method of PA. Seventeen possible process steps and 10 decision points were required for patients to obtain medications requiring a PA. Of the 324 PAs tracked, 316 (97.5%) were approved on the first PA request after an average time of 0.82 days (range, 0 to 14 days). Approximately half of PAs were for either palbociclib (26.5%) or pegfilgrastim (22.2%), and 13.6% of PAs were for generic hormonal therapy. Requirements to fax PA requests were associated with greater delay in approval time (1.31 v 0.17 days for online requests; P < .001). The use of specialty pharmacies increased staff burden and delays in medication receipt. The PA process is complicated and labor intensive. Given the high PA approval rate, it is unlikely that PA requirements reduce medication utilization in practice, and these requirements may impose unnecessary burdens on patient care. The goals and requirements for PAs should be readdressed.

Tobacco Cessation Treatment Pathways for Patients With Cancer: 10 Years in the Making.

Tobacco use is the most common cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States; it accounts for one-third of all cancer deaths and is thought to account for half of preventable cancer deaths. This article describes the Tobacco Treatment Program at a major academic cancer center. Patients and employees may access these services in a number of ways. All current smokers and recent quitters are proactively contacted and invited to participate. Services provided are tailored to the motivational level of individual patients and their immediate medical needs. The treatment pathways we present are based on our experience from the last 10 years in treating more than 5,000 unique patients with around 60,000 patient visits. These pathways include behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy, including first-line, second-line, and off-label medication use. This article describes the program with the goal of providing guidance and ideas to others who are developing treatment programs and providing treatment to tobacco users.

Abstract P4-13-24: Impact of genomic medicine on clinical decision making in patients with advanced breast cancer at two academic medical centers

Abstract Background: A deeper molecular understanding of cancer biology has led to the development of therapies targeting driver mutations. Genomic profiling of tumors is commercially available and has become integrated into many clinical practices as part of a paradigm shift towards personalized care of cancer patients. The current impact of genomic profiling on clinical decision making for patients with advanced breast cancer is not well described. Methods: Patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who had tumors submitted for commercial genomic analysis from 2013-2015 were identified consecutively at two large academic cancer centers with genomic basket trials open for the majority of the collection period. Demographics, tumor pathology, clinical, and treatment histories were extracted through medical chart review as per an IRB approved protocol. Data from genomic analysis reports was extracted including number and type of mutations, FDA approved therapies and clinical trials available. Genomic analysis was determined to have impacted clinical decision making if the next line of therapy was influenced either by accrual to clinical trial, or a decision to prescribe an FDA-approved therapy. The most frequent somatic mutations and their relative frequencies were determined. Results: A total of 82 patients with mBC who had undergone commercially available genomic testing were identified. The median age was 49 (range: 29-70). 42 patients (51%) had ER-positive HER2-negative disease, 33 (40%) had ER-negative HER2-negative disease, 4 (5%) had ER-negative HER2-positive disease and 3 (4%) had ER-positive HER2-positive disease. The median number of lines of therapy received prior to genomic profiling was 2 (range 0-15). Genomic analysis reports suggested that 61 (74%) of these patients had at least one FDA approved medication available for at least one somatic mutation, and 79 (96%) had at least one clinical trial available (39 (46%) in the same state, 11 (13%) in the same institution). Genomic testing influenced management in 8 patients (10%), with 6 patients (7%) experiencing a change in next line of therapy attributable to genomic information. In 74 patients (90%), genomic testing results did not affect clinical decision-making. The most frequently observed somatic mutations included: TP53, PI3KCA, MYC, CCDN1, FGF, ZNF703, GATA3, ARID1A, MCL1, PTEN, MYST3, and BRCA1. Conclusions: Genomic testing did not affect management in the vast majority of mBC patients treated at two major academic cancer centers. Furthermore, the most identified mutated genes found were not targetable. The real world clinical utility of genomic analysis remains limited in breast cancer but may influence clinical decision making in a minority of patients. Citation Format: Kruse ML, Santa-Maria CA, Raska P, Swoboda A, Jain S, Sohal D, Moore H, Budd GT, Abraham J, Montero AJ. Impact of genomic medicine on clinical decision making in patients with advanced breast cancer at two academic medical centers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-13-24.

NCCN at 20: Forward Momentum

NCCN completes its 20th year with a remarkable legacy of success and substantial forward momentum. The successes have been well outlined in the past year’s “NCCN Anniversary Reflections,” in JNCCN and include growth from a small, little-known alliance of 13 academic cancer centers to a high-visibility, leading alliance of 26 major academic cancer centers. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) began as 10 and have grown to 61. The NCCN Guidelines are the most widely used clinical practice guidelines in oncology, and arguably within any area of medicine. The use of the guidelines has expanded beyond the United States, with more than 36% of the more than 6 million yearly NCCN Guidelines downloads coming from outside the United States. NCCN has tremendous influence among payers in terms of oncology coverage decisions by way of both the NCCN Guidelines and the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium. The NCCN has a hugely successful Continuing Education Program, with 195 activities and more than 30,000 participants in 2014. The Oncology Research Program has funded 127 research grants sponsored by more than 15 different companies, offering opportunities for access to new agents for investigators from early career through late career. All of these successes have been possible because of the high quality of our NCCN Member Institutions, the commitment and participation of faculty and staff from our member institutions, and the remarkably committed, superb staff at NCCN headquarters. NCCN has no intention of resting on prior successes, however. Multiple major initiatives are underway to enhance existing programs and to start new programs to further the NCCN mission. In response to stakeholder requests, in October 2015 NCCN released the first NCCN Guidelines with NCCN Evidence Blocks, a system of scoring individual guideline recommendations based on efficacy, safety, data quality, data consistency, and affordability, and to display that information in a graphic format that is efficient to use. The NCCN Evidence Blocks, which provide information on why the experts on a guideline panel have made a specific recommendation, allow for efficient comparison across multiple options of care and provide further transparency for providers, patients, and other users. The use of NCCN Guidelines in lowand middle-resource settings around the world has led to the development of the NCCN Framework for Resource Stratification of the NCCN Guidelines. This framework provides detailed recommendations about the allocation of resources in limited-resource settings so as to maximize the impact of the available interventions and to provide a framework for incrementally improving cancer care, all while maintaining the context of the parent NCCN Guidelines. The first of these frameworks—for cervical cancer—was released in March 2015, and we have reports of how it is already changing the practice of oncology in limited resource settings. Other guidelines-related initiatives include a new Radiation Oncology Compendium and a new Diagnostic Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria, both of which will be released in early 2016. A major ongoing initiative is producing the NCCN Guidelines in a digital database that will allow NCCN content to be efficiently incorporated and used by computer-based systems in ways never before envisioned. The NCCN Continuing Education Program is developing new, innovative ways of providing continuing education across the spectrum of health care professionals, focusing on the specific educational needs of our learners and new ways of learning. In addition to the NCCN Frameworks, the International Program is enhancing existing 2015 th

Conditional disease-free survival after surgical resection of gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a multi-institutional analysis of 502 patients.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most commonly diagnosed mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The risk of recurrence following surgical resection of GISTs is typically reported from the date of surgery. However, disease-free survival (DFS) over time is dynamic and changes based on disease-free time already accumulated following surgery. To assess the comparative performance of established GIST recurrence risk prognostic scoring systems and to characterize conditional DFS following surgical resection of GISTs. A retrospective cohort study of 502 patients who underwent surgery for a primary, nonmetastatic GIST between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2012, at 7 major academic cancer centers in the United States and Canada. Disease-free survival of the patients was classified according to 5 prognostic scoring systems, including the National Institutes of Health criteria, modified National Institutes of Health criteria, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center GIST nomogram, and American Joint Committee on Cancer gastric and nongastric categories. The concordance index (also known as the C statistic or the area under the receiver operating curve) of established GIST recurrence risk prognostic scoring systems. Conditional DFS estimates were calculated. Overall 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year DFS following resection of GISTs was 95%, 83%, and 74%, respectively. All the prognostic scoring systems had fair prognostic ability. For all tumor sites, the American Joint Committee on Cancer gastric category demonstrated the best discrimination (C = 0.79). Using conditional DFS, the probability of remaining disease free for an additional 3 years given that a patient was disease free at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years was 82%, 89%, and 92%, respectively. Patients with the highest initial recurrence risk demonstrated the greatest increase in conditional survival as time elapsed. Conditional DFS improves over time following resection of GISTs. This is valuable information about long-term prognosis to communicate to patients who are disease free after a period following surgery.

A Nursing Workforce Program to Advance Knowledge and Skills for Nurses Implementing Cancer Clinical Research

Clinical nursing research is an emerging subspecialty that enhances nursing expertise. In an effort to provide a basic educational curriculum on cancer research and clinical trials, a major academic cancer center launched a novel program titled Clinical Research Nursing Grand Rounds that allowed nurses to receive continuing education units. The purpose of the current article is to describe the development and content of the education model, challenges encountered, and implications for oncology nursing education, practice, and research.

Clinical trials networks, accrual strategies, and enrollment of historically underrepresented populations in medical oncology trials.

e16549 Background: Oncology research is limited poor accrual into clinical trials. Clinical trials networks may help to improve this by allowing investigations to be available to patients seen in practices that are far from academic centers. Also, strategies may be implemented within each practice to further enhance accrual. This thereby increases patient access to investigational agents while potentially increasing the pace of progress in clinical oncology research. Methods: Our objective was to assess the clinical trial accrual rate in a community practice that is a member of a clinical trials network affiliated with a major academic cancer center and the effects of policies within the practice to increase patient accrual into trials. We retrospectively analyzed the records from 2002-2010 of this practice, which is located over 150 miles from an academic center. Accrued patients were divided into subgroups based upon ethnicity and age. Also, from 2007-2010, the percentage of patients accrued into trials relative to the total number treated onsite was calculated and compared to national averages. Accrual rate was also measured before and after specific strategies, which will be detailed within the poster, were instituted in 2007. Results: In this period, over 200 patients seen at this practice were accrued into clinical trials. Of these patients, 44% were elderly and 20% were Hispanic, both markedly higher than national averages. For 2007-2010, 10% of patients that received on site treatment were accrued into trials, also significantly higher than the national average. The strategies implemented helped to increase the accrual per year from 16 patients per year from 2002-2007 to 37 per year in 2008-2010. Conclusions: Clinical trial networks and specific strategies within community practices can for better accrual rates than the national average. They also greatly enhance the potential for both minority and elderly enrollment, two populations that have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials. Furthermore, this combination of infrastructure and concepts may help to accelerate the progress of medical oncology research towards better treatments for all patients.

Clinical trials networks and enrollment of historically underrepresented populations in medical oncology trials

e20598 Background: Oncology research is limited by the very low number of patients accrued into clinical trials. Clinical trials networks may help to overcome this limitation by allowing investigations designed through academic centers to be available to patients seen in community practices that are far from these centers. This allows for increased accrual and access for these patients while potentially increasing the pace of progress in clinical oncology research. Methods: In this study, we attempted to determine the effect that clinical trials networks can have on the accrual of cancer patients into clinical investigations. We retrospectively analyzed the records from 2002–2008 of a private practice located over 150 miles from an academic center for accrual into trials. This practice is a member of a clinical trials network affiliated with a major academic cancer center. Accrued patients were divided into subgroups based upon type of malignancy, ethnicity and whether or not they were elderly. In addition, from 2007–2008, the percentage of patients accrued into trials relative to the total number treated onsite was calculated and compared to national averages. Results: In this period, a total of 139 patients at this practice were accrued into clinical trials. By malignancy, they were as follows: breast 36%, colorectal 22%, lung 13%, prostate 8.4%, gastric and lymphoma each 3.0%, pancreatic 1.8%, melanoma 1.2% and ovarian 0.6%. The other 18 patients were in trials for either chemotherapy related anemia 7.8% or bony metastases 3.0%. Of the 139 patients, 45% were elderly and 16% were Hispanic, both markedly higher than national averages. For 2007–2008, 12% of patients that received on site treatment were accrued on to trials. For lung, colorectal, and breast cancer, the number of patients on trial as a percentage of all treated onsite were also higher than the national averages. Conclusions: Clinical trial networks allow a higher percentage of total patients to be accrued than the national average and greatly enhance the potential for both minority and elderly enrollment, two populations that have been historically underrepresented in major clinical trials. It may also help to accelerate the progress of medical oncology research towards better treatments for all patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Current Issues in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship

Overall, the survival rate for cancer patients has continued to improve over the past several decades. However, those aged 15 to 29 years have not experienced the same improvements in survival. This review explores some of the challenges faced by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and their survivorship needs. Using the OVID Medline database from 1966 to present, a variety of search terms including "adolescent," "young adult," and "cancer survivorship" were entered. Articles related to those obtained by the search were also collected. Additional data were obtained from the SEER database AYA monograph, the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Study, the Report of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Progress Review Group, and the Long-Term Follow-Up Recommendations of the Children's Oncology Group. Cancer patients in this age-group are at increased risk for second malignancies, cardiotoxicity, and reproductive difficulties. Few data exist concerning intellectual and other psychosocial issues for this specific patient population. More research is needed to develop accurate data on treatment and survivorship for AYA patients. A separate cancer discipline focusing on improving outcomes in treatment and survivorship among AYA patients should be developed in major academic cancer centers.