Purpose: Given the occurrence of cancer during a complex developmental time, adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients have unique psychosocial needs that necessitate supportive care, which is optimally provided using National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) AYA guidelines. We sought to explore compliance with NCCN AYA guidelines and compare with oncology providers' perceptions of AYA care needs.
Methods: Retrospective chart reviews of AYA patients (15-39 years at time of cancer diagnosis) with sarcoma seen at least once in 2019 at the University of Wisconsin identified documentation of discussions deemed critical per NCCN AYA guidelines. As per the ASCO Quality Oncology Practice Initiative certification, we considered a threshold of these factors being discussed 75% of the time or higher to be compliant. Compliance was compared with an electronic survey of University of Wisconsin oncology providers regarding AYA patient needs, with items determined to have adequate resources if noted sufficient by at least 75% of providers.
Results: We identified 43 AYA patients with sarcoma. Less than 75% of patients had documentation of discussion of contraception, sexual health, fertility, finances, genetics, social work referral, and clinical trials indicating noncompliance with NCCN guidelines. Surveys, completed by 38 oncology providers, showed significant discordance between providers' perceptions of AYAs' access to resources and providers' documented discussions of supportive care resources.
Conclusion: Disparities between oncology provider assessment of AYA care needs and documentation of critical components of AYA patient care demonstrate the need for novel tools to evaluate AYA care needs beyond provider assessments.