Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in 5-year survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer: A Danish population-based cohort study

Metabolic Sequelae and Quality of Life in Early Post-Treatment Period in Adolescents with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Background/Objectives: The long-term consequences of intensive treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), including metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases, but also deteriorated quality of life (QoL), are present in many survivors of childhood HL. Methods: Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with HL who continued the follow-up after successful treatment for HL were included. Anthropometric parameters, body composition, laboratory data, blood pressure values, compliance to the Mediterranean diet (MD), QoL and lifestyle habits were evaluated at the follow-up. Available data were also extracted retrospectively at the time of diagnosis. The primary objective was to determine metabolic sequelae in the early post-treatment period in adolescents treated for HL. Additionally, QoL and compliance with MD were explored, and the correlation of MetS with QoL was investigated. Results: Sixty percent of patients had at least one risk factor for metabolic syndrome, with obesity/abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and low HDL being most commonly observed, present in 66.7%, 44.4% and 44.4% of patients, respectively. The number of obese patients increased from 6.3% at the diagnosis to 31.3% at the follow-up. The majority of patients (53.3%) had low adherence to the MD. Participants had comparable quality-of-life domains to those of the healthy population at the follow-up. The physical health domain of QoL was positively correlated with compliance to the MD in young adults (r = 0.8, p = 0.032) and negatively correlated with obesity/overweight in adolescents (r = -0.85, p = 0.008). Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle choices can impact not only the metabolic health of survivors but also their quality of life, and therefore should be encouraged in these patients.

Disparities in physical activity in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

PURPOSE

There is a growing population of adolescent and young adult (AYA, ages 15-39 at diagnosis) cancer survivors at heightened risk of chronic conditions. Moderate to vigorous physical activity level (MVPA) is an important modifiable factor associated with improved cardiovascular health. Little is known about the association of sociodemographic factors with MVPA in AYA survivors.

METHODS

Self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey (2009-2018) were used to identify AYA cancer survivors (at least 2 years post-diagnosis) and age- and sex-matched controls. MVPA level based on sociodemographic (sex, race and ethnicity, income, education), medical (heart disease, stroke, and diabetes), and cardiovascular risk factors (BMI and smoking) was determined within and between survivors and controls using multivariable linear regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 4766 AYA cancer survivors and 47,660 controls were included. Less than half of survivors (41.9%) and controls (43.2%) met MVPA guideline recommendations, and one-third of survivors (33.4%) reported no MVPA. Black race was associated with reduced MVPA compared with White race (ratio: 0.58 (95% CI: 0.37-0.90). Household income < $50,000/year, education < high school, diagnoses of diabetes or heart disease, and current smoking were all significantly associated with reduced MVPA in AYA survivors. There were no differences in MVPA between survivors and controls by sociodemographic factors, medical history, and cardiovascular risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

We found disparities in MVPA in AYA cancer survivors by sociodemographic, medical, and cardiovascular risk factors. Understanding trajectories of MVPA among different sociodemographic populations is needed to identify opportunities for intervention.

Cardiovascular disease in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: Impact of sociodemographic and modifiable risk factors

BACKGROUND

There is a growing population of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors (ages 15-39 years), and they have an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known about the contribution of sociodemographic and modifiable factors to the risk of CVD in AYA survivors and whether these factors differentially modulate their risk compared with that in the general population. The current study sought to fill these gaps.

METHODS

Self-reported data from the US National Health Interview Survey (2009-2018) were used to identify AYA cancer survivors (≥2 years postdiagnosis) and age-matched and sex-matched controls. The risk of CVD based on sociodemographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, income, education) and modifiable risk factors (diabetes, body mass index, smoking, physical activity) was determined within and between survivors and controls using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

In total, 4766 AYA cancer survivors and 47,660 controls were included. The odds of CVD were significantly higher in survivors than in controls by sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, smoking status, and physical activity. An annual household income <$50,000 disproportionately increased the odds of CVD in survivors. One third of survivors reported no moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). Performing any MVPA lowered the odds of CVD in survivors (odds ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.450.81) and controls (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.61-0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

Sociodemographic and modifiable risk factors increased the odds of CVD in AYA survivors, in some cases disproportionately, compared with controls. Understanding health behavior trajectories among different sociodemographic populations is needed to identify opportunities to lower the risk of CVD. Performing any MVPA is particularly important for AYA survivors.

Needs, Barriers and Facilitators of Adolescents Participating in a Lifestyle Promotion Program in Oncology: Stakeholders, Adolescents and Parents’ Perspective

Treatments for adolescent cancer can cause debilitating side effects in the short- and long-term such as nausea and malnutrition but also cardiometabolic disturbances. Although the risk for cardiometabolic complications is greater for adolescents with cancer than younger ones, adolescents typically respond poorly to family-oriented health promotion programs. This study aims to assess the needs, barriers and facilitators to healthy lifestyle promotion interventions for adolescents with cancer and how to best adapt these interventions for them. Interviews were held with adolescents treated for cancer (n = 9) and parents (n = 6), focus groups were conducted with stakeholders working in oncology (n = 12) and self-report questionnaires were sent to stakeholders involved in a health promotion intervention (n = 6). At the time of interview, mean age of adolescent participants (40% female) was 17.0 ± 1.9 years (mean age at diagnosis: 14.6 ± 1.6 years). Verbatim and responses to questionnaires were coded and analyzed using qualitative methods. Stakeholder stated that adolescents with cancer need to access activities adapted to their age, to communicate with peers going through a similar experience, and to preserve their schooling and friendships. Barriers to intervention reported by adolescents, parents and stakeholders include lack of motivation, schedule conflicts, fatigue and treatment side effects. Some of the barriers mentioned by adolescents and parents include pain, post-surgery problems, school, physical deconditioning, and lack of time. Facilitators mentioned by adolescents and parents comprise trust in stakeholders’ expertise, personalized approaches, scheduling flexibility. Stakeholders recommended to build trust in the relationship, favoring non-moralizing teachings, adapt interventions to adolescents’ limited attention span and avoiding the use of long-term health benefits as a motivator.

The Burden of Late Effects and Related Risk Factors in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review

Risk factors associated with late effects in survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer are poorly understood. We conducted a systematic scoping review to identify cohort studies published in English from 2010-2020 that included: (1) cancer survivors who were AYAs (age 15-39 years) at diagnosis and (2) outcomes of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs), chronic conditions, and/or late mortality (>5 years postdiagnosis). There were 652 abstracts identified and, ultimately, 106 unique studies were included, of which 23, 34, and 54 studies related to the risk of SMNs, chronic conditions, and mortality, respectively. Studies investigating late effects among survivors of any primary cancer reported that AYA cancer survivors were at higher risk of SMN, chronic conditions, and all-cause mortality compared to controls. There was an indication that the following factors increased risk: radiation exposure (n = 3) for SMNs; younger attained age (n = 4) and earlier calendar period of diagnosis (n = 3) for chronic conditions; and non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic (n = 5), low socioeconomic status (n = 3), and earlier calendar period of diagnosis (n = 4) for late mortality. More studies including the full AYA age spectrum, treatment data, and results stratified by age, sex, and cancer type are needed to advance knowledge about late effects in AYA cancer survivors.

Prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease linked to prognosis in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients: a multi-centre cohort study

OBJECTIVES

(i) To estimate the prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease and (ii) to assess the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a large-scale cohort of patients referred to coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with follow-up of 46,022 patients based on data from a Danish national CTA registry. Exposure was defined as psoriasis or PsA. A group of patients without psoriasis, PsA or any other inflammatory disease was used as reference. Cross-sectional primary outcomes were a coronary artery calcium score (CACS) >0 and CACS ≥400, and secondary outcome was obstructive CAD. At follow-up, the primary outcome was a composite endpoint of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. All outcomes were adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

RESULTS

We identified 1356 psoriasis and 370 PsA patients. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for psoriasis patients for CACS >0, CACS ≥400 and obstructive CAD was 1.26 (1.10-1.46), 1.25 (1.04-1.50) and 1.14 (0.98-1.33), respectively. For PsA patients, OR for CACS >0 was 1.28 (1.00-1.64). We found a crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.49 (1.21-1.85) and adjusted HR of 1.14 (0.92-1.41) for the primary outcome in psoriasis patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this population, both psoriasis and PsA were associated with an increased prevalence of coronary calcification. Psoriasis patients also showed an increased prevalence of severe calcification. Psoriasis patients were at increased risk for cardiovascular events and death, however not after adjusting for the effect of other predictors.

Chronic Comorbidities Among Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer

PURPOSE

To describe the incidence, relative risk, and risk factors for chronic comorbidities in survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 2-year survivors of AYA cancer diagnosed between age 15 and 39 years at Kaiser Permanente Southern California from 2000 to 2012. A comparison cohort without cancer was individually matched (13:1) to survivors of cancer on age, sex, and calendar year. Using electronic medical records, all participants were followed through December 31, 2014, for chronic comorbidity diagnoses. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between cancer survivor status and risk of developing each comorbidity. The associations between cumulative exposure to chemotherapy and radiation therapy and selected comorbidities were examined for survivors of cancer.

RESULTS

The cohort included 6,778 survivors of AYA cancer and 87,737 persons without a history of cancer. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for survivors of cancer was significantly increased for nearly all comorbidities examined. IRR ranged from 1.3 (95% CI, 1.2 to 1.4) for dyslipidemia to 8.3 (95% CI, 4.6 to 14.9) for avascular necrosis. Survivors of AYA cancer had a 2- to 3-fold increased risk for cardiomyopathy, stroke, premature ovarian failure, chronic liver disease, and renal failure. Among survivors of cancer, significant associations between chemotherapy and radiation therapy exposures and late effects of cardiomyopathy, hearing loss, stroke, thyroid disorders, and diabetes were observed from the multivariable analyses. Forty percent of survivors of AYA cancer had multiple (≥ 2) comorbidities at 10 years after index date, compared with 20% of those without cancer.

CONCLUSION

Risk of developing comorbidities is increased in survivors of AYA cancer compared with the general population. Specific cancer treatment exposures were associated with risk of developing different comorbidities. These findings have important implications for survivorship care planning and patient education.