Reproductive concerns among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A scoping review of current research situations

Fertility is a significant concern among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors and their caregivers, especially after their completion of cancer treatment programs. Concerns about fertility affect not only cancer patients' psychological well-being, but also all aspects of their medical treatments, including treatment protocol, decision-making, and treatment adherence. In this scoping review, the PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang electronic databases were searched according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. The searches identified 669 articles, 54 of which met the inclusion criteria. Reviewers extracted the data on the study characteristics, measurements, positive factors, negative factors, and additional themes. This scoping review included studies from 10 countries. Most studies were quantitative using a cross-sectional design. The prevalence of reproductive concerns among AYA cancer survivors ranged from 44% to 86%, and 28% to 44% of the survivors experienced moderate to severe concerns. The specific implementation of fertility consultation, including timing, consult frequency, and content, deserves ongoing exploration.