Social outcomes of long-term survivors of adolescent cancer

Objectives: The study investigates psychosexual and family outcomes among German long‐term survivors of adolescent cancer. Methods: Survivors of cancer during adolescence (n=820; age at onset of disease: M=15.8 years, SD=0.9, age at follow‐up: M=30.4, SD=6.0 years) completed questionnaires on their...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psycho-oncology (Chichester, England) England), 2010-12, Vol.19 (12), p.1277-1284
Main Authors: Dieluweit, Ute, Debatin, Klaus-Michael, Grabow, Desiree, Kaatsch, Peter, Peter, Richard, Seitz, Diana C. M., Goldbeck, Lutz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adolescence
Adolescent
Adolescents
Age of Onset
Cancer
Case-Control Studies
Child
Children
Educational Status
Families & family life
Family
Family life
Female
Germany
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
late effects
Male
Marital Status
Neoplasms - psychology
Neoplasms - therapy
Oncology
Peer Group
Psychological aspects
Psychosexual Development
Quality of Life - psychology
Same sex
Sex Factors
Sexual behavior
Social Behavior
Surveys and Questionnaires
survival
Survivor
Survivors
Survivors - psychology
Survivors - statistics & numerical data
Teenagers
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Objectives: The study investigates psychosexual and family outcomes among German long‐term survivors of adolescent cancer. Methods: Survivors of cancer during adolescence (n=820; age at onset of disease: M=15.8 years, SD=0.9, age at follow‐up: M=30.4, SD=6.0 years) completed questionnaires on their family life and their psychosexual and autonomy development. Outcomes were compared to an age‐matched sample (German Socio‐Economic Panel, G‐SOEP, n=820, age: M=30.4, SD=6.7 years) from the general population and to a control group of adults without cancer (n=1027, age: M=31.5, SD=7.0 years). Results: Compared to controls of the same sex, female survivors had achieved fewer developmental milestones in their psychosexual development such as having their first boyfriend, or reached these milestones later, and reported a significantly stronger desire for children. Male survivors were more likely to live with their parents when compared to same sex controls. Equivalent proportions of survivors and persons in the G‐SOEP were living in a long‐term relationship; however, survivors were less likely to have ever married or had children. At first marriage and at the birth of their first child, survivors were significantly older compared to the G‐SOEP. About 14.5% of survivors reported cancer‐related infertility. Conclusions: Survivors of adolescent cancer experience some social late effects of the disease in adulthood, such as a delayed social development as well as substantial differences in their family life and living conditions compared to healthy peers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:1057-9249
1099-1611
DOI:10.1002/pon.1692