Progression, prediction, and benefits of physical activity after cancer diagnosis: Planning for a Pan-Canadian cohort study of adolescents and young adults with cancer

The incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYA) is rising. While more than 80% of AYA are expected to live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed, most will experience disease symptoms and treatment side effects that can compromise length and quality of survival. Research shows that physical activity (PA) can improve the length and quality of life of survival for children and adults diagnosed with cancer. Yet, research with AYA - a population recognized as being unique -remains insufficient to endorse PA as a complementary therapy to help AYA manage disease symptoms and treatment side effects from diagnosis into post-treatment survivorship. Also, while most AYA are insufficiently active from diagnosis onwards, knowledge of factors that influence PA is insufficient to develop effective and efficient interventions. Longitudinal studies in AYA diagnosed with cancer are needed to address these gaps, and to adapt, develop, and evaluate intervention strategies to promote PA and ultimately survival. Since a longitudinal study with AYA can be challenging, it is vital to carefully plan it to ensure its success. Hence, the goal of this project is to use Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Patient Engagement framework to plan a longitudinal study by setting priorities for research questions and identify strategies that will facilitate recruitment and optimize retention of AYA diagnosed with cancer. The planning team will engage researchers, AYA diagnosed with cancer, decision-makers, and health care providers - collectively referred to as partners. Through a series of meetings, teleconferences, and focus groups, partners will work together to share their knowledge, expertise, and experience. The knowledge gained from partners during the planning phase and continued collaboration will facilitate the development and conduct of the study, as well as the mobilization of the results to promote PA to reduce the burden of cancer for AYA.