Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with Cancer: a Scoping Review

Despite the increasing prevalence of cancer in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patient populations and a growing recognition of their unique care needs, there remains a lack of standardized guidelines on high-quality care. While various organizations and authors have put forth recommendations, these have yet to be integrated and harmonized. The purpose of this review was to capture relevant clinical practice guidelines on core elements that define quality care for AYAs with cancer, reviewing literature from 2006 through 2025. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria for clinical practice guidelines for the care of AYAs with cancer, many of which came from prominent oncology guidelines bodies, both nationally and internationally. Across the identified papers, 13 themes for AYA cancer care emerged, which were consolidated into practical recommendations. These themes were: 1) Raising Awareness, 2) Multidisciplinary Care, 3) Risk Assessment, 4) Innovative Models of Care, 5) Equity, 6) Psychosocial and Developmental Support, 7) Clinical Trials, 8) Reproductive Health, 9) Palliative Care, 10) Survivorship, 11) Access to Care, 12) Connections to Local Resources, and 13) Treatment Adherence. There are several high-quality clinical practice guidelines for AYA cancer care, summarized here into 13 themes. In this review, we discuss and contextualize these guidelines within the broader field of AYA oncology. By consolidating recommendations from diverse sources, we aim to provide a comprehensive resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policy makers to improve the quality of care for AYAs with cancer.