Health Care Transition Programs for Adolescents and Young Adults With Hereditary Cancer Predisposition: A Scoping...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Implementation Science
• Adolescent Medicine

Background:

• Adolescents and young adults (AYA) at increased cancer risk require specialized care, including surveillance, chemoprevention, and prophylactic surgery.
• Effective healthcare transition (HCT) from pediatric to adult care is vital for maintaining cancer prevention and early detection.
• Limited data exists on the implementation of HCT programs specifically for AYA with hereditary cancer risk or prior cancer diagnoses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing literature on HCT programs for AYA at increased risk for cancer.
• To identify implementation factors crucial for designing, implementing, and sustaining these HCT programs.
• To utilize the RE-AIM framework to analyze implementation characteristics.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review of 54 articles was performed.
• Data extraction focused on HCT programs for AYA with hereditary cancer syndromes or prior cancer diagnoses.
• The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework guided the analysis of implementation factors.

Main Results:

• Few HCT programs have been implemented for AYA with hereditary cancer syndromes.
• Programs for cancer survivors are more advanced in their translational development compared to those for hereditary cancer syndromes.
• Key implementation factors were identified across all five dimensions of the RE-AIM framework.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for more implemented HCT programs for AYA at high risk for hereditary cancers.
• Preimplementation efforts are underway for hereditary cancer programs, while survivor programs show greater translational progress.
• Identified implementation factors can guide the development and sustainability of future HCT programs for at-risk AYA.