Adolescents & young adults: issues in transition from active therapy into follow-up care.
OBJECTIVE
The development of services focused on addressing the needs of Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) cancer patients as they transition from active therapy into follow-up care is an area of growth, development and research across the globe. This is important as much of the empirical literature and service development to date has focused on children or older adults. In Victoria, Australia, as elsewhere, survivorship studies focusing on the AYA age group are needed to answer questions regarding their medical, psychological and social needs. This article examines the qualitative exploration of the findings of a small focus group study with young people and the subsequent development of a practice framework by the onTrac@PeterMac Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Service.


METHODS
Eight young people, with a mean age at diagnosis of 24 years and 8 months, participated in a 3h focus group. A qualitative analytic approach was utilized to examine themes.


RESULTS
The participants identified a number of survivorship concerns relating to three broad categories: finishing treatment, ongoing health concerns and future directions.


CONCLUSIONS
The research findings supported the development of a practice framework designed to assist in the management of AYA living with cancer in Victoria. Results also supported previously documented evidence that indicate gaps in cancer knowledge and services provided to this age group. Further collaborative research is required to understand AYA treatment and survivorship issues to assist in the development of more formalised aged appropriate protocols.
Thompson
Kate
K
onTrac@PeterMac, Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Vic 8006, Australia. kate.thompson@petermac.org
Palmer
Susan
S
Dyson
Gavin
G
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D017741:Survivors; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult