Summary

A diagnosis of cancer during adolescence or young adulthood (AYA) may have negative effects on healthy development and physical and/or psychosocial wellbeing. To address this issue and evaluate patient distress, Drs. Anne Klassen and Norma D’Agostino, developed the Cancer Distress Scales for Adolescent and Young Adults (CDS-AYA).

The CDS-AYA is a valid and reliable screening tool to measure distress and identify cancer survivors that need support. Quantitative and qualitative research identified and refined the CDS-AYA to 91 items across 9 scales of importance: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, Impact of Cancer, Cancer Worry, Social, Employment, Education, and Practical. The sum of each scale represents the level of distress.

The CDS-AYA can be used in research and clinical practice to measure distress.

To meet increasing demand for electronic versions of questionnaires, the CDS-AYA is available in electronic format as well as in hardcopy. MILO is working closely with translation companies to review electronic conversions of all questionnaires in its library. MILO is also continuing to increase the portfolio of validated translations for questionnaires.