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Exploring Key Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study to
Sitara Sharma1, Sarah Cleyn2, Haydn Bechthold3
1School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer experience significant unmet needs in supportive care, including fertility counseling, psycho-emotional support, and financial assistance. These gaps highlight the need for improved, tailored cancer care models for this population.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15-39 face unique challenges in cancer care not adequately met by current models.
- Traditional cancer care often overlooks the specific supportive needs of AYAs, impacting their quality of life.
- This study addresses the critical gap in understanding AYAs' unmet supportive cancer care needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the unmet supportive cancer care needs of AYAs in Eastern Ontario.
- To inform the development of a tailored, multidisciplinary cancer care program for AYAs.
- To identify key areas for system-level improvement in AYA oncology care.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with AYAs (aged 15-39) undergoing or post-cancer treatment.
- Purposive sampling used to recruit participants from the Champlain region of Eastern Ontario.
- Thematic analysis of interview data to identify major care gaps and sub-themes.
Main Results:
- Five major themes of unmet needs were identified: lack of standardized fertility counseling, neglected psycho-emotional impact, limited sexual health education/support, healthcare system navigation difficulties, and financial toxicity.
- Twelve sub-themes further detailed these significant supportive care gaps.
- Participants (n=16) reported challenges impacting their quality of life due to these unmet needs.
Conclusions:
- AYAs in Eastern Ontario experience persistent gaps in supportive cancer care, negatively affecting their quality of life.
- Findings emphasize the necessity for targeted, system-level interventions to improve AYA cancer care.
- The study provides a foundation for co-designing an evidence-based regional AYA care model addressing holistic needs.
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