Bull Cancer. 2025 Oct 22:S0007-4551(25)00441-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2025.08.004. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer, aged between 15 and 24, are an age group with characteristics and needs that differ from those of older children and adults. Cancer, often perceived as a confrontation with death, and the side effects of treatment give rise to difficult trials throughout the medical course. Our aim is to carry out a review of the literature in order to quantify the prevalence of distress, anxiety and depression, to describe the evolution and interactions between these three dimensions throughout the therapeutic phase and to identify the associated risk factors.
METHODS: A systematic review of published national and international articles, using specific keywords, was carried out on PsycArticles and PsycInfo; PubMed; Science Direct and Scopus. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA).
RESULTS: After eliminating duplicates and examining articles by title and abstract, a total of 13 articles were included in this review, corresponding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, of the 925 AJAs, 44% (364/822) were affected by distress, 34% (283/841) by anxiety and 34% (302/888) by depression. These prevalences remain high overall. A dynamic interaction can be observed between these three components, which feed off each other: while distress is often the immediate reaction to the shock of cancer, anxiety, reflecting hypervigilance in the face of future threats, and depression appear to be a consequence.
CONCLUSION: Confronting cancer in young adults can have profound and lasting repercussions, as it is seen as a unique and complex experience. Support is needed.
PMID:41130871 | DOI:10.1016/j.bulcan.2025.08.004
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