Cancers among adolescents and young adults at one institution in Japan

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer often live long lives following treatment and face many life events. No detailed studies of cancers in AYAs have described the epidemiology, treatment outcome, and social status in Japan. The present study defined AYAs as those aged 15–29 years old based on the US National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Data was collected from the hospital-based cancer registry and electronic medical charts at Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital from 2007 to 2015. The present study analyzed the types of cancer, treatment methods and outcomes, fertility preservation, marital status, raising children, school admission, and employment status. A total of 362 (1.9%) cancer cases in AYAs (males 119, females 243) were identified. Carcinoma was the most common type of cancer in both sexes. Females had a high incidence of carcinoma of the genitourinary tract (28.0%). Fertility-sparing surgery (16.0%) was the most common method of fertility preservation. The 5-year survival was better in females (88.4%) than in males (79.9%). The percentage of married AYAs increased following cancer treatment. The proportion of unemployment increased following cancer treatment in all age groups and was greatest (12.6%) in those aged 20–24 years old. Compared with SEER data from the United States, the incidence of carcinoma was high among AYAs, particularly genitourinary tract carcinomas in females, while the incidence of melanoma and skin carcinomas was low. Therefore, AYAs with cancer requires social and economic support.