Cancer in adolescents and young adults: treatment and outcome in Victoria.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the location of treatment, recruitment to clinical trials and outcomes for adolescents and young adults treated for cancer in Victoria.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective review of all adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 years diagnosed with cancer between 1992 and 1996, identified from the Victorian Cancer Registry.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Treatment regimen (clinical trial, treatment protocol or neither), compliance with treatment and 5-year survival.

RESULTS

Questionnaires were completed for 576 of 665 eligible adolescents and young adults (87% response rate). Recruitment into clinical trials decreased with increasing age. Adolescents aged 10-19 years were more likely to be recruited to a clinical trial if treated at a paediatric hospital. For all cancers, 5-year survival was similar across the age groups and was not influenced by the place of treatment. Only 1% of adolescents and young adults failed to complete planned therapy due to non-compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a similar incidence of cancer to that in younger children, adolescents and young adults with cancer are poorly recruited into clinical trials in Victoria. Establishment of a cancer resource network in Victoria may provide information to both paediatric and adult oncologists about currently available clinical trials.