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Cancer in adolescents and young adults: treatment and outcome in Victoria
Author(s) -
Mitchell Anne E,
Scarcella Deborah L,
Rigutto Gemma L,
Ashley David M,
Thursfield Vicky J,
Giles Graham G,
Sexton Maree
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05799.x
Subject(s) - medicine , clinical trial , young adult , cancer , pediatrics , regimen , cancer treatment , incidence (geometry) , cancer registry , gerontology , surgery , physics , optics
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.