# Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/aya-oncology/  
OnCo record `aya-oncology` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Cancer in people aged 15-39, about 90,000 US cases a year, with a distinct mix of cancers, slower survival improvement than children or older adults, and specific needs: fertility, education and work, psychosocial support and trial access.

## Summary

AYA cancers include lymphoma, thyroid, testicular, melanoma, breast, colorectal (rising sharply in under-50s), sarcomas, leukaemia and CNS tumours. Survival gains lagged for decades (the 'AYA gap') because of low trial enrolment, delayed diagnosis, biology (e.g. Ph-like ALL, worse-prognosis sarcoma subtypes) and care fragmented between paediatric and adult systems; paediatric-inspired ALL regimens in AYAs improved survival (CALGB 10403). Dedicated AYA programmes (Teenage Cancer Trust UK, NCI AYA Oncology Progress Review Group 2006, COG/NCTN AYA committee) address fertility preservation, psychosocial care, financial toxicity, survivorship and age-appropriate environments. Early-onset colorectal and breast cancer incidence increases are a current research priority.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Tags: gap-fill

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolescent_and_young_adult_oncology
- NCI AYA cancers: https://www.cancer.gov/types/aya
- Teenage Cancer Trust: https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
- CALGB 10403 (Blood 2019): https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2018-10-881961

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Adolescent and young adult cancers (ages 15 to 39)](https://onco.cc/cancers/aya-cancers/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Ewing sarcoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/ewing-sarcoma/), [Germ cell tumours of childhood and adolescence (extracranial and CNS)](https://onco.cc/cancers/paediatric-germ-cell-tumours/), [Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Osteosarcoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/osteosarcoma/), [Rare cancers of childhood (NCI PDQ umbrella)](https://onco.cc/cancers/rare-childhood-cancers/), [Testicular germ cell tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/testicular/)
- technologies: [Oncofertility and fertility preservation](https://onco.cc/technologies/fertility-preservation/), [Ovarian function after chemotherapy: who recovers, and when](https://onco.cc/technologies/ovarian-function-after-chemotherapy/), [Survivorship care and late-effects surveillance](https://onco.cc/technologies/survivorship-care-plan/), [Who gets told about fertility before treatment, and who does not](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-access-fertility-preservation/), [Who misses out on recovery care, measured](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-access-who-misses-out/)
- terms: [Cancer during pregnancy](https://onco.cc/terms/cancer-in-pregnancy/), [Late effects and survivorship toxicity](https://onco.cc/terms/late-effects/)
- key papers: [A pediatric regimen for older adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results of CALGB 10403](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-stock-blood/)
- people: [Chadwick Boseman](https://onco.cc/people/chadwick-boseman/), [Dame Deborah James](https://onco.cc/people/deborah-james/), [Kris Hallenga](https://onco.cc/people/kris-hallenga/), [Lance Armstrong](https://onco.cc/people/lance-armstrong/), [Stephen Sutton](https://onco.cc/people/stephen-sutton/), [Terry Fox](https://onco.cc/people/terry-fox/)
- collections: [Colorectal Cancer Alliance](https://onco.cc/collections/colorectal-cancer-alliance/)
- institutions: [Teenage Cancer Trust](https://onco.cc/institutions/teenage-cancer-trust/)

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