Reproductive concerns among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A scoping review of current research situations

Abstract

Fertility is a significant concern among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors and their caregivers, especially after their completion of cancer treatment programs. Concerns about fertility affect not only cancer patients' psychological well-being, but also all aspects of their medical treatments, including treatment protocol, decision-making, and treatment adherence. In this scoping review, the PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang electronic databases were searched according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. The searches identified 669 articles, 54 of which met the inclusion criteria. Reviewers extracted the data on the study characteristics, measurements, positive factors, negative factors, and additional themes. This scoping review included studies from 10 countries. Most studies were quantitative using a cross-sectional design. The prevalence of reproductive concerns among AYA cancer survivors ranged from 44% to 86%, and 28% to 44% of the survivors experienced moderate to severe concerns. The specific implementation of fertility consultation, including timing, consult frequency, and content, deserves ongoing exploration.

Effects of self-disclosure and resilience on reproductive concern in patients of childbearing age with breast cancer: a cross-sectional survey study

“…9 10 Reproductive concerns have been proven to be prevalent in patients with cancer and are influenced by various factors such as demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors, including age, number of children, family per capita monthly income, fertility intention, social relational quality, fertility preservation and self-disclosure. 11 According to Benedict et al, 9 good psychosocial adaptation was found to be related to lower reproductive concern. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as 'the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, threats or significant sources of stress'.…”

The experiences of reproductive concerns in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies

“…Demands: Personal (disease prognosis and survival, fertility and breastfeeding, sex life, fertility preservation decisions, spirituality, treatment and support); 3,5,12,17 information support (fertility technology protection, the timing of pregnancy and safety of childbirth); 1,3,17 desire for communication and support, multiple sources of scientific reproductive knowledge 4,10,16 Response Method: Accept reality; 8,14 seek support (medical, information, family and social); 1,2,12 change bad lifestyle; 2,8 distress; 8,14,19 meaning making; 6,8 having hope while suffering; 7,19 women's advice to health care providers 12,16 .…”

Reproductive concerns among young adult women with breast cancer: a systematic review protocol

“…To provide a better understanding of this issue, a systematic review on reproductive concerns is necessary to summarise the level of reproductive concerns as well as their influencing factors and relevant health-related consequences among patients with breast cancer. Recently, a scoping review has been conducted to evaluate the literature on reproductive concerns among adolescent and adult cancer patients in general, which provides some information on reproductive concerns among cancer patients 29. When it is specific to women with breast cancer, there have been two identified reviews related to reproductive concerns of patients with breast cancer in 2009 and 2012, respectively 10 16.…”