American researchers found that the presence of metastases at diagnosis was the most significant predictor of mortality for AYAs, especially for breast, colorectal, stomach, and kidney cancer. Breast and colorectal cancer are particularly relevant, as these two cancers alone account for almost one-fourth of all cancer-related deaths in AYAs.
In addition, there were some disparities where for most age groups and most cancers, the risk for having metastatic disease is greatest among those who are non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanic, low socioeconomic status, and/or male.
These findings emphasize the importance of understanding specific cancer risks in AYAs and designing targeted interventions to improve health outcomes. More research is needed to uncover the underlying factors behind these disparities.
