Survivorship Following Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 300

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and HumboldtUniversität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13553 Berlin, Germany
Interests: cancer survivorship; supportive care

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Guest Editor
Cancer Survivorship Care Unit, Universitiy Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
Interests: cancer survivorship; late effects; health prevention and promotion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Cancers will be dedicated to the current challenges and opportunities in cancer survivorship care, a medical field of growing importance. It is crucial that we work to better understand late effects and their dynamics after cancer treatment, to develop risk-adapted, individualised survivorship care. While suitable survivorship care models are required to promote health surveillance in survivors, it is also essential that a return to normal life be supported in the best possible way, for example, through preventive and supportive measures. This Special Issue will present research results in the form of in-depth evidence-based findings on late effects and innovative care approaches, contributing to strategies for optimising cancer survivorship.

Dr. Magdalena Balcerek
Dr. Judith Gebauer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cancer survivorship
  • late effects
  • long-term follow-up care
  • supportive care
  • health prevention and promotion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 732 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Relationship Between Illness Perception, Perceived Social Support, and Psychosocial Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults Newly Diagnosed with Cancer: Outcomes from a BRIGHTLIGHT Study
by Bethany Wickramasinghe, Lorna A. Fern, Rachel M. Taylor and Richard G. Feltbower
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17121918 - 9 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Background/objectives: Social support can enhance psychosocial health-related quality of life (PSQOL) in adult cancer patients. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer face unique psychosocial challenges that intersect with key developmental milestones. Theoretical models propose that illness perceptions and social support are key [...] Read more.
Background/objectives: Social support can enhance psychosocial health-related quality of life (PSQOL) in adult cancer patients. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer face unique psychosocial challenges that intersect with key developmental milestones. Theoretical models propose that illness perceptions and social support are key determinants of coping strategies and long-term health outcomes in this context. These may be especially salient for AYAs, for whom peer relationships and identity formation are central. Methods: We explored how perceived social support and illness perceptions influence PSQOL over time in AYA cancer patients through a secondary analysis of the BRIGHTLIGHT longitudinal cohort study. Results: BRIGHTLIGHT followed 830 young people aged 13–24 across five time points (6–36 months post-diagnosis). Multi-level modelling revealed that PSQOL improved over time but remained consistently lower in females (mean: 69.62, 95% CI: 70.69 to −68.55). Greater perceived support from friends was associated with poorer PSQOL (β: −0.77, 95% CI: −1.007 to −0.54) and linked to negative illness perceptions, longer hospital stays (β: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00 to −0.02), longer diagnostic intervals (β: −0.009, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.00), and poorer clinical communication (β: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.01 to −1.03). A patient interpretation exercise with BRIGHTLIGHT’s Young Advisory Panel contextualized these findings. Conclusions: While peer support could promote normalcy, it could also intensify distress through emotional pressure or social isolation. Future research should address not only access to social support but its quality and relevance to AYAs’ unique psychosocial needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Survivorship Following Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer)
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