Young Adult Cancer Survivors Face Higher Social Risks
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2025 -- Young adult cancer survivors face elevated social risks, according to a study presented at the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held from Sept. 18 to 21 in Baltimore.
Ami E. Sedani, Ph.D., from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Dallas, and colleagues used data from the 2022-2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate differences in individual-level social risk factors between U.S. cancer survivors and adults without a cancer history. The analysis included data from 472,531 adults, 8.7 percent of whom were cancer survivors.
The researchers found that 26.4 percent of cancer survivors and 34.9 percent of adults without a cancer history reported one or more social risks, with substantial differences by age and demographic subgroups. Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors had a higher prevalence of social risks than peers without a cancer history, including mental distress (absolute difference [AD]: 11.2 percent), housing insecurity (AD: 9.4 percent), and food insecurity (AD: 7.2 percent), despite higher food assistance use. Among adults aged 40 to 64 years, differences were minimal and largely reversed among those aged 65 years and older. Across all age groups, mental distress, social isolation, and life dissatisfaction remained higher among survivors. Male AYA survivors had greater differences in social risks versus males without a cancer history, while female survivors showed a higher absolute prevalence of most risks. The highest overall prevalence of social risks was seen among racial and ethnic minority AYA survivors.
"The results highlight the importance of considering age when examining survivorship disparities and point to the potential value of policies and programs that strengthen social and economic support for young adult cancer survivors to promote more equitable health outcomes," Sedani said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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