Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship

BackgroundYoung patients with lung cancer represent a distinct population, with unique disease and treatment-related characteristics, as well as psychosocial and survivorship needs. Nevertheless, this population remains vastly understudied.MethodsWe review the unique clinicopathological characterist...

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Main Authors: Narjust Florez, Lauren Kiel, Rebekah Kaufman, Jaclyn LoPiccolo, Biagio Ricciuti, Angela Morabito, Olayinka Fakorede, Courtney Mantz, Coral Olazagasti, Nishwant Swami, Duaa Kanan, Laura Alder, Arthi Sridhar, Cristiane Decat Bergerot, Bianca Bye, Ana I. Velazquez, Alice T. Shaw
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1570143/full
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author Narjust Florez
Narjust Florez
Lauren Kiel
Rebekah Kaufman
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Biagio Ricciuti
Biagio Ricciuti
Angela Morabito
Olayinka Fakorede
Courtney Mantz
Coral Olazagasti
Nishwant Swami
Duaa Kanan
Laura Alder
Arthi Sridhar
Cristiane Decat Bergerot
Bianca Bye
Ana I. Velazquez
Alice T. Shaw
Alice T. Shaw
author_facet Narjust Florez
Narjust Florez
Lauren Kiel
Rebekah Kaufman
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Biagio Ricciuti
Biagio Ricciuti
Angela Morabito
Olayinka Fakorede
Courtney Mantz
Coral Olazagasti
Nishwant Swami
Duaa Kanan
Laura Alder
Arthi Sridhar
Cristiane Decat Bergerot
Bianca Bye
Ana I. Velazquez
Alice T. Shaw
Alice T. Shaw
author_sort Narjust Florez
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundYoung patients with lung cancer represent a distinct population, with unique disease and treatment-related characteristics, as well as psychosocial and survivorship needs. Nevertheless, this population remains vastly understudied.MethodsWe review the unique clinicopathological characteristics and needs of young patients with lung cancer, including topics such as incidence rates, diagnostic challenges, genomics, treatment patterns and outcomes, psychosocial needs, fertility and sexual health, and palliative care. We discuss emerging and understudied data, provide recommendations on aspects in which future research is warranted, and advocate for actionable strategies that multi-disciplinary healthcare teams may adopt to provide more personalized and equitable care.ResultsThough epidemiological trends suggest an overall decrease in lung cancer incidence among all age groups, recent increasing incidences have been reported among certain young populations in the U.S., as well as among Hispanic women and women in certain European countries. Young patients are significantly more likely to be female or Asian/Pacific Islander, have no tobacco use history, metastasis to the brain, and a higher frequency of somatic mutations or rearrangements. Diagnostic delays pose a considerable concern to young patients with lung cancer and may contribute to how these patients are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease than their older counterparts. However, young patients demonstrate improved survival compared to older patients, underscoring the importance of survivorship care. Young patients are more likely to be diagnosed at a disruptive time in their lives, rendering them with distinct psychosocial needs and financial toxicity. Future data on treatment-related effects on fertility and sexual health for young patients is warranted, as is the data related to complementary medicine use. Training in palliative care and promoting a positive attitude towards supportive care is also essential.ConclusionsYoung patients with lung cancer represent a distinct patient population, necessitating disease management that is markedly different from that of older patients with lung cancer. Future research, some of which are highlighted by this Review, will aid in elucidating risk factors, survival rates, and clinical, genomic, and histopathological characteristics of young-onset lung cancer to improve screening, early detection, prevention, and treatment of this understudied population.
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spelling doaj-art-460989e2053a4fefbf8feabf9b0c500b2025-08-20T02:24:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-06-011510.3389/fonc.2025.15701431570143Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorshipNarjust Florez0Narjust Florez1Lauren Kiel2Rebekah Kaufman3Jaclyn LoPiccolo4Jaclyn LoPiccolo5Biagio Ricciuti6Biagio Ricciuti7Angela Morabito8Olayinka Fakorede9Courtney Mantz10Coral Olazagasti11Nishwant Swami12Duaa Kanan13Laura Alder14Arthi Sridhar15Cristiane Decat Bergerot16Bianca Bye17Ana I. Velazquez18Alice T. Shaw19Alice T. Shaw20Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesSylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesUniversity of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, Peoria, IL, United StatesDuke Cancer Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United StatesDivision of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United StatesCentro de Câncer de Brasília, Instituto Unity de Ensino e Pesquisa, Grupo Oncoclinicas, Brasília, BrazilYoung Lung Cancer Initiative, Raleigh, NC, United States0Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United StatesLowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesBackgroundYoung patients with lung cancer represent a distinct population, with unique disease and treatment-related characteristics, as well as psychosocial and survivorship needs. Nevertheless, this population remains vastly understudied.MethodsWe review the unique clinicopathological characteristics and needs of young patients with lung cancer, including topics such as incidence rates, diagnostic challenges, genomics, treatment patterns and outcomes, psychosocial needs, fertility and sexual health, and palliative care. We discuss emerging and understudied data, provide recommendations on aspects in which future research is warranted, and advocate for actionable strategies that multi-disciplinary healthcare teams may adopt to provide more personalized and equitable care.ResultsThough epidemiological trends suggest an overall decrease in lung cancer incidence among all age groups, recent increasing incidences have been reported among certain young populations in the U.S., as well as among Hispanic women and women in certain European countries. Young patients are significantly more likely to be female or Asian/Pacific Islander, have no tobacco use history, metastasis to the brain, and a higher frequency of somatic mutations or rearrangements. Diagnostic delays pose a considerable concern to young patients with lung cancer and may contribute to how these patients are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease than their older counterparts. However, young patients demonstrate improved survival compared to older patients, underscoring the importance of survivorship care. Young patients are more likely to be diagnosed at a disruptive time in their lives, rendering them with distinct psychosocial needs and financial toxicity. Future data on treatment-related effects on fertility and sexual health for young patients is warranted, as is the data related to complementary medicine use. Training in palliative care and promoting a positive attitude towards supportive care is also essential.ConclusionsYoung patients with lung cancer represent a distinct patient population, necessitating disease management that is markedly different from that of older patients with lung cancer. Future research, some of which are highlighted by this Review, will aid in elucidating risk factors, survival rates, and clinical, genomic, and histopathological characteristics of young-onset lung cancer to improve screening, early detection, prevention, and treatment of this understudied population.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1570143/fullyoung patientslung cancerpsychosocialtargeted therapydiagnostic delays
spellingShingle Narjust Florez
Narjust Florez
Lauren Kiel
Rebekah Kaufman
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Jaclyn LoPiccolo
Biagio Ricciuti
Biagio Ricciuti
Angela Morabito
Olayinka Fakorede
Courtney Mantz
Coral Olazagasti
Nishwant Swami
Duaa Kanan
Laura Alder
Arthi Sridhar
Cristiane Decat Bergerot
Bianca Bye
Ana I. Velazquez
Alice T. Shaw
Alice T. Shaw
Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
Frontiers in Oncology
young patients
lung cancer
psychosocial
targeted therapy
diagnostic delays
title Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
title_full Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
title_fullStr Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
title_full_unstemmed Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
title_short Young lung cancer: from diagnosis to survivorship
title_sort young lung cancer from diagnosis to survivorship
topic young patients
lung cancer
psychosocial
targeted therapy
diagnostic delays
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1570143/full
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