New research indicates that psychological distress from cancer and its treatment can cause many adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors to seek additional care and burden them with considerable medical expenses. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Compared with individuals without a history of cancer, AYA cancer survivors—those who were diagnosed with cancer when they were aged between 15 and 39 years old—are more likely to experience psychological distress, which can be expressed as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, cancer worry, or anger.
To examine the health care use and medical costs associated with psychological distress in AYA cancer survivors, Ola A. Abdelhadi, MBBCh, MPH, PhD, of the University of California, Davis, and her colleagues examined data from the 2001–2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 1,757 AYA cancer survivors and 5,227 adults with no history of cancer.
The prevalence of psychological distress in AYA cancer survivors was two times higher than that observed in adults with no history of cancer (11.5% versus 5.8%). Also, 11.2% of cancer survivors reported distress 20 or more years after being diagnosed.
Survivors with psychological distress were more likely to smoke and have chronic medical conditions, and they were less likely to exercise regularly compared with survivors with no history of psychological distress. Also, females, those with lower income, and unmarried cancer survivors were more likely to have psychological distress than males, those with higher income, and those who were married.
Psychological distress was associated with an additional $4,415 in annual medical expenses in AYA cancer survivors, compared with $1,802 in adults without a history of cancer.
In AYA cancer survivors, those with psychological distress had an average of 2.8 more annual office visits and used an average of 11.58 additional prescription medications or medication refills each year.
“Our study is the first to estimate the additional medical expenses and health care utilization associated with psychological distress in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors,” said Dr. Abdelhadi. “Screening to identify those with psychological distress and referring survivors to treatment or interventions can mitigate the impact of psychological distress.”
Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the Cancer News Room upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact:
Dawn Peters +1 781-388-8408 (US)
newsroom@wiley.com
Follow us on Twitter @WileyNews
Full Citation:
“Psychological distress and associated additional medical expenditures in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.” Ola A. Abdelhadi, Brad H. Pollock, Jill G. Joseph, and Theresa H.M. Keegan. CANCER; Published Online: January 10, 2022 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34064).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.34064
Author Contact: Stephanie Anne Winn, senior public information officer at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, at stawinn@ucdavis.edu.
About the Journal
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online.
Follow us on Twitter @JournalCancer
About Wiley
Wiley is a global leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world’s knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.