Over the past five decades, survival rates for children, adolescents, and young adult cancer survivors (CAYACS) have significantly improved, primarily due to advancements in diagnosis and treatment. Despite these improvements, there is still limited understanding of the long-term impacts of cancer on survivors. The CAYACS program aims to address the knowledge gap about long-term outcomes by examining late effects on physical and mental health, including second cancers, late mortality, and survivors’ quality of life.
The program will also investigate survivors' health care utilization, such as physician visits, hospital admissions, mental health care, and pharmaceutical use. To support these studies, a cohort of BC cancer survivors diagnosed between the ages of 0-39 years from 1970 to 2020 will be created and compared to a population cohort. Data from registries and administrative databases will provide insights on late effects and health care patterns.
The ultimate goal is to improve survivors’ long-term outcomes and quality of life by generating critical evidence to inform future medical practices and policies.
