Beyond race and ethnicity: a scoping review of supportive care needs and barriers for immigrant AYA cancer survivors.
This scoping review of six studies reports that immigrant AYA cancer survivors face intersecting linguistic, financial, legal, cultural, and healthcare-transition barriers that contribute to unmet supportive-care needs and adverse psychosocial and access outcomes.
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This scoping review of six studies reports that immigrant AYA cancer survivors face intersecting linguistic, financial, legal, cultural, and healthcare-transition barriers that contribute to unmet supportive-care needs and adverse psychosocial and access outcomes.
Research significance
The reviewed evidence identifies potentially modifiable care barriers; it is reasonable—but not demonstrated by this review—to hypothesize that culturally responsive survivorship services, language support, and family-inclusive navigation could improve care retention, financial well-being, and quality of life for immigrant AYA survivors.
Source abstract
PURPOSE: To map the current literature regarding the unmet supportive care needs, structural barriers, and healthcare transition challenges faced by immigrant adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. METHODS: Following JBI methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across major databases (including PubMed and Embase) to identify peer-reviewed studies focusing on foreign-born or immigrant AYA cancer survivors (aged 15-39) and their long-term survivorship experiences. RESULTS: Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Immigrant AYAs face a compounding matrix of linguistic, financial, and legal barriers that limit healthcare access. The transition from pediatric to adult oncology highlights a profound disconnect between individualistic Western healthcare models and collectivist, family-centered decision-making norms. Furthermore, post-migration acculturation processes sometimes erode baseline healthy behaviors, worsening financial toxicity and long-term psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Current survivorship frameworks fail to adequately account for the migratory process, often conflating immigration status with broad racial categories. Systemic changes are required in oncology research to capture granular data on nativity and length of residency to expose and address these hidden disparities. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Culturally responsive survivorship programs, dedicated language services, and family-inclusive patient navigation models are essential to prevent care attrition, reduce post-treatment social stigma, and ultimately optimize the long-term quality of life for immigrant AYA survivors.