What does life look like for young adults after cancer?

Each year, around 1,600 young adults aged 18–39 are diagnosed with cancer in Denmark. When the disease occurs at this stage of life, it often coincides with pursuing education, establishing a foothold in the labour market, starting a family, and building financial independence. A cancer trajectory can halt this development for several years, often leading to significant consequences later in life.

In the new SCOPE-AYA project, researchers will examine how cancer affects labour market attachment and the receipt of social transfer payments among young adults. They will also map the socio-economic costs.

“We know that young adults with cancer are at increased risk of long-term difficulties in the labour market. However, we lack knowledge about who is most vulnerable and when these challenges arise,” says Associate Professor Marc Sampedro Pilegaard.

The project is based on Danish health and social registries and follows young cancer survivors over a 10-year period, compared with peers without cancer.

The aim is to provide a stronger evidence base for targeted rehabilitation and earlier interventions that can reduce social inequality and ensure more efficient use of societal resources.

The project will be carried out as a PhD project, with Morten Juul Lopdrup as the PhD student.

This article is based on press material from Regional Hospital Gødstrup.

Contact

Associate Professor and Senior Researcher Marc Sampedro Pilegaard
Aarhus Universitet, Department of Public Health and
Regional Hospital Gødstrup, Clinic for Social Medicine and Rehabilitation
Email: masamp@rm.dk