Young patients experience poor social functioning years after cancer diagnosis

Adolescents and young adults who had cancer continued to face social difficulties years after diagnosis, according to recently published findings.

“Cancer and its treatment often alter social roles and limit the social activities of patients,” Olga Husson, PhD, of the department of medical psychology at Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands, and colleagues wrote. “For adolescents and young adults in particular, a cancer diagnosis can disrupt social maturation, the process by which a young person develops self-views, social cognition, awareness and emotional regulation that guides him or her throughout the remainder of his or her life.

“Understanding social functioning among adolescent and young adult patients with cancer over time is important to learn who remains at risk of a poor outcome and do determine potentially relevant services and resources required to serve them,” Husson added.

Researchers conducted a multicenter, longitudinal study of 215 adolescent and young adult patients with cancer (age 14 to 39 years).

Patients completed self-reported measurements of social functioning within the first 4 months after diagnosis (n = 215), and again at 12 months (n = 165) and 24 months (n = 141). Researchers measured social functioning using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey.

Patients had significantly poorer social functioning scores compared with population norms at time of diagnosis (52 vs. 85.1; P < .001), at 12-month follow-up (73.1 vs. 85.1; P < .001) and at 24 months (69.2 vs. 85.1; P < .001).

Social functioning improved from baseline through the first year, but remained stable after 12 months.

Out of the total cohort, 9% of participants showed consistently high or normal social functioning, 47% showed improvement, 13% showed worsening social functioning and 32% showed consistently low social functioning.

Those who had consistently low social functioning were more likely to be off treatment at follow-up, had more physical symptoms and higher levels of distress, and reported less social support than the other three groups.

“The results of the current study demonstrate that although improved over time, the social functioning of adult and young adolescent cancer survivors remained compromised 24 months after their primary diagnosis,” the researchers wrote. “Nearly one-third of the patients continued to be at risk of poor social functioning. Reducing physical symptoms and psychological distress and enhancing social support by intervention during the period after treatment may potentially help these young survivors to better reintegrate into society.” – by Andy Polhamus

Disclosure: Husson is supported by a Social Psychology Fellowship from the Dutch Cancer Society. No other researchers report any relevant financial disclosures.