Each year about 900 Australian adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are diagnosed with cancer. Research shows that AYA patients have had the smallest improvement in survival over the last 20 years of any age group. Also, for cancers that occur in both children and AYAs, survival is worse among AYA patients. The reasons for this are not well understood. This project entails a retrospective review of hospital medical records nationally. It aims to collect treatment and outcome data for all AYAs diagnosed with leukaemia, soft tissue sarcoma, bone cancer and central nervous system tumours between 2007 and 2012. These diagnoses account for about 20 percent of AYA cancers and were selected for their relatively poor outcomes. This study is complemented by a patient survey that examines AYA experiences of cancer care.
CBRC staff
Prof Vicki White
Collaborators
Dr Michael Coory (University of Melbourne), Dr Gemma Skaczkowski (Austin Health), Dr Antoinette Anazodo (Sydney Children’s Hospital; Ms Kate Thompson (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), Prof Ross Pinkerton (Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service), Prof Wayne Nicholls (Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service), Dr Michael Osborne (Royal Adelaide Hospital), A/Prof Marianne Phillips (Princess Margaret Hospital), Dr Rosemary Harrup (Royal Hobart Hospital), Dr Rachel Conyers (Royal Children’s Hospital), Dr Lisa Orme (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), Helen Bibby (NSW Health)
Funding
NHMRC Project Grant (1012250), Canteen, Kids Cancer Fund
Years
2012 - present