One in 10 Teens, Young Adults With Cancer Later Develop Metastatic Recurrence

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in 10 adolescent and young adult patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic cancer later develop metastatic recurrence, according to a study published online Nov. 26 in JAMA Oncology.

Ann Brunson, from the University of California (UC) Davis in Sacramento, and colleagues examined the incidence of metastatic recurrence among 48,406 adolescents and young adults (aged 15 to 39 years) diagnosed with cancer from 2006 to 2018.

The researchers found that 9.5 percent had metastatic recurrence. Among the 43,935 patients who presented with nonmetastatic disease, the five-year cumulative incidence of metastatic recurrences was highest among patients with sarcoma (24.5 percent) and colorectal cancer (21.8 percent) and was intermediate for cervical (16.3 percent) and breast (14.7 percent) cancers. With increasing stage at diagnosis, cumulative metastatic recurrence increased. For all stage III cancers except thyroid, the five-year cumulative incidences were higher than 30 percent. Over time, the five-year cumulative incidence of metastatic recurrence increased for cervical cancer (2006 to 2009: 12.7 percent; 2015 to 2018: 20.4 percent) and decreased for colorectal cancer (2006 to 2009: 24.4 percent; 2015 to 2018: 19.2 percent). For all cancer types, except for testicular and thyroid cancers, the survival after metastatic recurrence was worse than metastatic disease at diagnosis.

“These findings highlight the significant burden of metastatic recurrence among adolescents and young adults and the need for tailored survivorship care,” senior author Theresa Keegan, Ph.D., also from UC Davis, said in a statement. “Understanding these patterns helps us identify inequities and evaluate how well our efforts are working to prevent, detect and treat both early and metastatic disease.”

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)