A systematic review and pooled prevalence of symptoms among childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

Aims and objectives To systematically review the existing literature reporting symptoms in childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and to meta-analyse the pooled prevalence of symptoms. Background Cancer survivors experience various symptoms caused by cancer treatments and their late effects. These symptoms are associated with adverse health outcomes. However, estimates of symptom prevalence vary largely, and no comprehensive review of symptoms has been conducted for childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Design A systematic review. Methods This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO registry and was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL were searched up to July 2021. Three investigators assessed the eligibility of studies, extracted data and performed quality assessment. The pooled prevalence of symptoms was calculated using a random-effect model. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify heterogeneity. Results Sixty-one studies were used to synthesise symptom prevalence, involving 114,184 participants. There were 24 physical symptoms and 10 psychological symptoms reported in two or more studies. The most studied physical symptoms were fatigue and sleep disturbance, and the most studied psychological symptoms were anxiety and depression. Among physical symptoms, drowsiness had the highest prevalence, followed by dry mouth and fatigue. Among psychological symptoms, worry and nervousness had the highest prevalence, followed by difficulty concentrating. Conclusions Physical and psychological symptoms are common in the target population. This review provides an up-to-date overview of symptom prevalence, identifying areas for future research. Relevance to clinical practice Education about possible symptoms related to cancer and its treatment should be given while in treatment. Symptoms should also be monitored throughout the survivorship period. Nurses have a critical role in identifying and making referrals for psychological symptoms as well as promoting preventative strategies that enhance well-being.

Automated summary

This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the prevalence of symptoms in childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. The study found that physical and psychological symptoms were common in this population, with fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression being the most frequently reported symptoms. These findings have important implications for future research.