Psychosocial developmental milestones of young adult survivors of childhood cancer

• Published in: Supportive care in cancer Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 6839 - 6849
• Main Authors: Maurice-Stam, Heleen, van Erp, Loes M. E., Maas, Anne, van Oers, Hedy A., Kremer, Leontien C. M., van Dulmen-den Broeder, Eline, Tissing, Wim J. E., Loonen, Jacqueline J., van der Pal, Helena J. H., Beek, Laura R., de Vries, Andrica C. H., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M., Ronckers, Cécile M., Bresters, Dorine, Louwerens, Marloes, van der Heiden-van der Loo, Margriet, Huizinga, Gea A., Grootenhuis, Martha A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Cancer; Cancer in children; Child development; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Nursing; Nursing Research; Oncology; Oncology, Experimental; Original; Original Article; Pain Medicine; Pediatrics; Psychological aspects; Psychosocial development; Rehabilitation Medicine; Survivor; Teenagers; Young adults; Youth; Netherlands; Cancer survivors; Development; Psycho-oncology; Psychosocial functioning; Young adult; Childhood cancer
• ISSN: 0941-4355; 1433-7339
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-022-07113-3

Purpose The study aimed to compare the psychosocial development of young adult survivors of childhood cancer (YACCS) with a norm group of young adults from the general population. Methods From 2017 to 2020, 558 YACCS (18–30 years, 51% female, 10.9% CNS cancer) who participated in the Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (DCCSS) LATER cohort (diagnosed 1963–2001) part 2 completed the Course of Life Questionnaire ( CoLQ ), assessing the achievement of milestones. Items were grouped into the scales autonomy, psychosexual, and social development. Differences between YACCS and norm group were examined with ANOVA and Cohen’s d ( CoLQ scales) and with logistic regression analysis and odds ratio ( OR ) ( CoLQ items), for the total group and YACCS of CNS cancer. Results The total group of YACCS did not report a less favorable psychosocial development than the norm group. YACCS of CNS cancer scored lower than the norm group ( p < 0.001) on the scales autonomy ( d = − 0.36) and psychosexual ( d = − 0.46). Additionally, on half of the items of autonomy (0.25 ≤ OR ≤ 0.34), psychosexual (0.30 ≤ OR ≤ 0.48), and social (0.23 ≤ OR ≤ 0.47) development, YACCS of CNS cancer were less likely ( p < 0.01) than the norm group to have achieved the milestones. Conclusion Overall, psychosocial development of YACCS was as favorable as the norm, but YACCS of CNS cancer were at risk of an unfavorable psychosocial development in all domains. Monitoring psychosocial development should be included in the standards of psychosocial care, especially for CNS cancer patients and survivors, to be able to trace delay. Personalized interventions should be offered to improve the psychosocial development in an early stage.