AbstractBackground: In India, cancer is one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Cancer among adolescent and young adults (AYAs) are increasing day by day. There is substantial lack of evidence in the prevalence of different types of cancer among AYA.
Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence of different cancer type and evaluate the possible relation with age and gender in AYA.
Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty-five cancer patients are studied at the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology of IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar from January 2015 to December 2017. The entire study cohort is divided into <15 years, 15-20 years, 21-25 years, 26-30 years and >30 years groups. Data on age, sex, and type of cancer are collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.
Results: Mean age of the study cohort is 23.45±4.28 years. Cancer is found more prevalent among the age of 26-30 years (38.2%) and in male gender (57%). The majority are hematological malignancies as common cancer types (25.5%) followed by other malignancies in decreasing order, lymphomas (15.8%), cancer of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) (14.5%), sarcoma (13.3%), germ cell tumor (8.5%), cancer of the breast (8.5%) and ovarian cancer (7.3%). Distribution of cancer type depends on the age (p=0.005) and gender (p<0.001) of the patients.
Conclusion: Cancer in AYA have distinct characteristics in prevalence and pattern. This is alarming and demands more attention by the health care professional to monitor signs of cancer in AYA.