Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA;
Justin Cheng , Bahram Nadim , Julia Stal , Sally Cohen-Cutler , Phuong Gallagher , Jonathan N Kaslander , Priscilla Marin , Afsaneh Barzi , Heinz-Josef Lenz , David R. Freyer , Kimberly Ann Miller
Background: From 1995-2016, rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) have increased among young adults (YA) under 50 years by 2% annually, despite overall rates of CRC among adults over age 65 decreasing. Unfortunately, this population is disproportionately affected by diagnosis at later stage of disease due to systematic and healthcare factors. Such late diagnoses are associated with higher symptom burden among survivors; however, symptom burden among YA early-onset CRC (EOCRC) survivors is poorly understood. The present study aims to characterize symptom burden among YA EOCRC survivors. Methods: A cross sectional survey was administered online in collaboration with a national organization for YA CRC survivors. Respondents (18-49 years) were EOCRC survivors who were 6-36 months from diagnosis/relapse. Survivors endorsed symptoms they experienced among 23 common CRC late effects. Responses were stratified by symptom duration (6-18 versus 19-36 months) to examine differences in endorsement rates among respondents. Results: Respondents (n=235) were colon (n=86) and rectal (n=149) cancer survivors, primarily male 63%, diagnosed at 32.4 years (SD=6.65), with an average of 5.1 (SD=2.57) symptoms. Overall, the most highly reported symptoms were fatigue, perceived change in appearance after treatment, and nail color changes. Comparisons of 6-18 and 19-36 months-from-diagnosis groups revealed similar symptom endorsement rates, with those 19-36 months from diagnosis endorsing constipation/diarrhea, anal bleeding, and incisional discomfort at higher rates than those 6-18 months from diagnosis. The 6-18 and 19-36 months-from-diagnosis groups carried similar symptom burdens of 4.9 (SD=2.57) and 5.1 (SD=2.58), respectively. Conclusions: YA EOCRC survivors endorse numerous symptoms that may interfere with their daily living and quality of life. Similarities in endorsement between 6-18 month and 19-36-month groups suggest symptoms may become chronic and persist beyond cancer treatment. Fortunately, many symptoms can be mitigated or prevented with proper medical and/or psychosocial intervention, patient education, and resource availability. Providers can leverage these findings in their evaluation of YA EOCRC patients during treatment and follow-up care to ensure the delivery of optimal symptom management.
Late effects endorsed by EOCRC survivors 6-18 months versus 19-36 months from diagnosis (N[%]). | |||
---|---|---|---|
Late Effects | 6-18 Months (N=157) | 19-36 Months (N=78) | Total (N=235) |
Fatigue | 73 (46.5) | 33 (42.3) | 106 (45.1) |
Perceived change in appearance | 59 (37.6) | 30 (38.5) | 89 (37.9) |
Nail color changes | 60 (38.2) | 25 (32.1) | 85 (36.2) |
Pain or difficulty chewing and/or swallowing | 55 (35.0) | 23 (29.5) | 78 (33.2) |
Skin color changes | 51 (32.5) | 26 (33.3) | 77 (32.8) |
Abdominal pain | 49 (31.2) | 24 (30.8) | 73 (31.1) |
Pain making it difficult to work or do daily activities | 46 (29.3) | 25 (32.1) | 71 (30.2) |
Constipation/Diarrhea | 45 (28.7) | 27 (34.6) | 72 (30.6) |
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