Disability experiences and quality of life in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a scoping review.

Abstract

<h4>Purpose</h4>This scoping literature review explored disability-related experiences among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors [ages 15-39], including their knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and awareness of associated rights.<h4>Methods</h4>Seven databases (PubMed, Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, ERIC, SocINDEX with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and APA PsychINFO) were searched for U.S. based literature (2010-2025) using relevant MeSH terms and boolean operators (e.g., "cancer surviv*" AND ("disab*" OR "impair*") AND ("young" OR "adolescent" OR "AYA"). Included studies focused on employment-related discrimination, cancer-related disclosure, psychosocial outcomes, and survivors' unmet disability-related needs. A narrative synthesis summarized key themes, with quantitative results tabulated and qualitative findings categorized.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 715 articles were screened, with 21 studies included for analysis. These studies highlight key gaps in legal awareness and support for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Three main themes were identified: (1) employment, education, and workplace barriers, (2) legal, policy, and system-level barriers, and (3) psychosocial and identity-related challenges.<h4>Conclusion</h4>AYA cancer survivors encounter barriers in daily life and navigate changes to their social identity that could be described as disability based on existing legal and social definitions. Despite growing research capturing the experiences of AYA survivors, there remains limited research addressing survivorship in relation to disability.<h4>Implications for cancer survivors</h4>Current survivorship literature lacks discussion of disability experiences of survivors and relevant disability support. Addressing this gap could better document the lived experiences of AYA survivors and design supportive services informed by disability law and policy.