Challenges in the Treatment of Sarcomas of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients do not fare as well as their younger counterparts. A variety of factors theorized to underlie such disparate outcomes have been identified including distinct tumor and host biology. Compared to younger patients, AYA patients often develop genetically distinct tumors and are more likely to suffer characteristic therapy-related toxicities. Compounding factors faced by AYA patients include education, finances, employment, and obstacles to treatment adherence. Lack of clinical trial participation among AYA patients has slowed the establishment of optimized age-specific treatment protocols and hindered the collection of biospecimens for scientific investigation. The relative rarity of sarcomas among adult cancers may limit the familiarity of oncologists with state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of sarcomas in young adults. Among other interventions, improved enrollment on clinical trials is a critical step in addressing the challenges faced by AYA patients. Further insight into unique tumor and host biology among AYA patients is also an important need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]