Supportive Care Needs of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Mixed Study Review

Background: Supportive care needs (SCN) need to be better identified in childhood, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors. Objective: This review aims to provide an overview of the available literature on the SCN of CAYA cancer survivors following treatment and to explore the influence of survivors’ age and time since cancer. Intervention/Methods: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Science Direct on articles exploring CAYA cancer survivors’ SCN. Of the 2281 articles found, 34 were included. Results: SCN regarding medical, psychological, fertility, healthcare system, social, and daily life domains were found in survivors. The most frequent SCN found across studies concerned information about late effects and follow-up, mental health counseling, and support regarding survivors’ fertility. Some evidence of an evolution of the type of needs over time was highlighted. Conclusions: SCN persists long after treatment in the medical, psychological, fertility, healthcare, social, and daily life domains in CAYA cancer survivors. Further work is required to explore the evolution of SCN throughout survivorship. Implication for practice: SCN should be assessed and addressed in the CAYA survivors’ population, even long after cancer treatment. Nurses, as key actors in CAYAs’ care, should be trained to prevent these individual needs at the end of treatment. What is Foundational: This review provides a clear picture of previous work about CAYAs’ SCN. This will contribute to building adapted programs and guiding future research.