AYA Webinar Series-Improving Early Cancer Detection in the AYA Population: Strategies for Screening, Risk Assessment, and Provider Engagement

Improving Early Cancer Detection in the AYA Population: Strategies for Screening, Risk Assessment, and Provider Engagement

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Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar focused on improving early cancer detection in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population through genetic risk assessment, provider engagement, and better survivorship support. Lauren Maynard explained the importance of family history, hereditary cancer syndromes, and genetic counseling/testing in identifying individuals at higher risk. She reviewed common warning signs such as young age at diagnosis, multiple or rare cancers, strong family history, and founder mutations, and emphasized that test results must be interpreted alongside personal and family history. She also highlighted barriers to testing, including limited awareness, anxiety, unclear results, and insurance concerns.<br /><br />Dr. Nawal Qasem discussed the unique challenges AYAs face, including delayed diagnosis, aggressive disease biology, fertility concerns, psychosocial stress, and disparities in care. She stressed the need for frontline providers to take symptoms seriously, refer patients appropriately, and address fertility, sexual health, and mental health early. She also described her clinic’s high-risk surveillance approach for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes.<br /><br />Dr. Nicole Stout expanded on survivorship needs for patients diagnosed under age 40, noting that many survive cancer but live with long-term treatment effects, disrupted education and careers, and ongoing psychosocial needs. She presented findings from health system surveys and outlined the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer Before 40” campaign, which aims to improve patient support, healthcare infrastructure, and public awareness.<br /><br />The panel concluded with a Q&A on rural access, fertility preservation, care coordination, financial barriers, and strategies to raise AYA awareness through storytelling, clinician champions, and digital outreach.

Keywords

early cancer detection

adolescent and young adult

AYA population

genetic risk assessment

hereditary cancer syndromes

genetic counseling

survivorship support

fertility preservation

provider engagement

cancer awareness