Cancer Among Adolescents and Young Adults Between 2000 and 2016 in France: Incidence and Improved Survival

Abstract

Purpose:

This study was undertaken to determine cancer survival and describe the spectrum of cancers diagnosed among French adolescent and young adult (AYA) population.

Methods:

All cases of cancer diagnosed in 15–24 years, recorded by all French population-based registries (18% of the French population), over the 2000–2016 period, were included. Age-standardized incidence rates, conventional annual percentage change (cAPC) of incidence over time, and 5-year overall survival (5yOS) were calculated.

Results:

We analyzed 2734 cancer diagnoses in adolescents and 4199 in young adults. Overall incidence rates were 231.9/10⁶ in 15–19 year olds and 354.0/10⁶ in 20–24 year olds. The most frequently diagnosed cancers in male AYA were malignant gonadal germ-cell tumors (GCT), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and malignant melanoma and were HL, thyroid carcinoma, and malignant melanoma in females. Cancer incidence was stable over time with a cAPC of 0.8% (p = 0.72). For all cancers combined, 5yOS was 86.6% (95% CI: 85.8–87.4), >85% for HL, non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), GCT, thyroid carcinomas, and malignant melanomas, and around 60% and lower for osteosarcomas, Ewing tumors, hepatic carcinomas, and rhabdomyosarcomas. The 5yOS has significantly improved from 2000–2007 to 2008–2015 for all cancers pooled, with a substantial gain of 4% for 15–19 year olds and 3% for 20–24 year olds.

Conclusion:

Notwithstanding the encouraging results for some cancers, and overall, persistent poorer survivals in AYA were shown compared to children for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, osteosarcoma, Ewing tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, and malignant hepatic tumors. These disparities require further investigation to identify and address the causes of these inferior outcomes.