David R. Freyer, DO, MS

David R. Freyer, DO, MS is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Medicine, and Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC). He currently serves as Director of the Survivorship and Supportive Care Program in the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and as Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program and Co-Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is founding Co-Director of the Southern California Center for Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research, now a three-institution, multi-state research collaborative focused on all aspects of young adult cancer survivorship, including health disparities.

Dr. Freyer’s clinical care and research are concentrated in cancer survivorship, cancer control/supportive care, and AYA oncology with interests in treatment-related toxicity, survivorship care transition, cancer care disparities, and patient-reported outcomes. He continues as PI or Co-I on multiple, federally funded grants in these areas. From 2009-2019 he served as Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) AYA Oncology Discipline Committee and continues as an active investigator in this and other COG committees. In 2018, Dr. Freyer was honored with the Robert M. McAllister Faculty Mentoring Award in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. In 2023, Dr. Freyer received an NCI Director’s Award for his role in developing and implementing AYA clinical trials in the NCI National Clinical Trials Network. For numerous consecutive years, his clinical expertise has been recognized with citations in “Best Doctors in America.” In 2025, Dr. Freyer was ordained a permanent deacon for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

• Patient Navigation for Improving Transition Success Among Multiply Disadvantaged Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer
  NIH · R01CA303651 · Sep 10, 2025 – Aug 31, 2029 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Project Milestones: Young Adult Cancer Survivorship
  NIH · R01CA237230 · Jul 1, 2019 – Dec 31, 2024 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
• CHANGE OF GRANTEE INSTITUTION: Creating and Validating Child Adverse Event Reporting in Oncology Trials
  NIH · R01CA175759 · Apr 1, 2013 – Mar 31, 2021 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator

• Longitudinal Change in Cardiac Function After Doxorubicin and Dexrazoxane: A Report From Children’s Oncology Group ALTE11C2. J Clin Oncol. 2026 Aug 06.. View in PubMed
• Inconsistent reporting of adolescent and young adult (AYA) status in non-interventional cancer research: a critical barrier to evidence usability. BMJ Open. 2026 07 29; 16(7):e107742.. View in PubMed
• On Hierarchical Composite Endpoints in Pediatric Cancer Supportive Care: Illustrative Examples From Two Multi-Center Phase-III Randomized Clinical Trials. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2026 Jul 25.. View in PubMed
• Adolescents and Young Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Qualitative Barriers and Facilitators to Guideline-Concordant Care. Cancer Control. 2026 Jan-Dec; 33:10732748261469238.. View in PubMed
• AYA POWER: Feasibility and Early Outcomes of a Global Virtual AYA Oncology Education Curriculum. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2026 Jul 15; 21565333261470564.. View in PubMed
• Impact of Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss on Quality of Life in Childhood Cancer Survivors. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Jun 22.. View in PubMed
• Factors associated with unplanned healthcare encounters in pediatric cancer patients. Support Care Cancer. 2026 May 21; 34(6).. View in PubMed
• Survival After Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease in Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Lymphoma. Eur J Haematol. 2026 May 14.. View in PubMed
• Beyond the Hospital: Understanding Psychosocial Support Uptake for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer in Community-Based and Nonprofit Programs. Cancer Control. 2026 Jan-Dec; 33:10732748261450729.. View in PubMed
• Availability of cancer survivorship services for adolescents and young adults: Findings from the 2022 NCI Community Oncology Research Program Landscape Assessment. J Cancer Surviv. 2026 Apr 28.. View in PubMed
• Improving patient-clinician communication about sexual health care among cancer patients and survivors: the need for system-level resources to support clinician practice. J Commun Healthc. 2026 Apr 16; 1.. View in PubMed
• Adherence-enhancing intervention and relapse in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from the Children’s Oncology Group randomized trial ACCL1033. Leukemia. 2026 May; 40(5):1062-1066.. View in PubMed
• The Development and Refinement of a Web-Based Sexual Health Education Intervention for Pediatric Oncology Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2026 May; 73(5):e70200.. View in PubMed
• Intervention Opportunities to Increase the Delivery of Guideline-Concordant Fertility Discussions for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer. Cancer Control. 2026 Jan-Dec; 33:10732748261433282.. View in PubMed
• Cancer Screening Uptake and Usual Source of Care Among Hispanic Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2026 04; 15(2):102-114.. View in PubMed
• Social roles and emotional distress are associated with successful aging in adult childhood cancer survivors. Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 25; 16(1).. View in PubMed
• Symptom burden among long-term survivors of young adult cancer: a report from the Project Milestones cohort. J Cancer Surviv. 2026 Feb 20.. View in PubMed
• Cohort Profile: The Adolescent and Young Adult Tracking Engagement and Management Skills (AYA TEAMS) Longitudinal Cohort of Childhood Cancer Survivors in the United States. medRxiv. 2026 Feb 14.. View in PubMed
• Evaluating the use of hierarchical composite endpoints in pediatric cancer supportive care clinical trials: Illustrative examples from two multi-center phase-III randomized clinical trials. medRxiv. 2026 Jan 23.. View in PubMed
• Survival Outcomes with Guideline-Concordant Pediatric-Inspired Regimens in Adolescent/Young Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Retrospective Real-World Analysis. Drugs Real World Outcomes. 2026 Mar; 13(1):73-84.. View in PubMed
• Survivorship Care After Childhood Cancer: A Systematic Review of Reported Barriers and Facilitators. Cancer Control. 2025 Jan-Dec; 32:10732748251401263.. View in PubMed
• Cancer-Related Impacts on Employment and Strategies for Support Among Long-Term Young Adult Survivors of Hematologic Malignancies. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Dec 12.. View in PubMed
• Prevalence and correlates of short and long sleep duration among majority-Hispanic young adult survivors of childhood cancer. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Dec 12.. View in PubMed
• Sedentary behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults treated for cancer: A scoping review of health outcomes and interventions. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Nov 11.. View in PubMed
• Erratum: Promoting Resilience in Stress Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Psychosocial Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults With Advanced Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Oct 09.. View in PubMed
• Secondary Lung Cancer among Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: A Population-Based Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 Sep 02; 34(9):1618-1626.. View in PubMed
• Factors Associated With Symptom Burden Among Pediatric Patients With Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Jun; 22(6):1087-1095.. View in PubMed
• Clinical outcomes and interventions related to sedentary behaviours in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients and survivors: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open. 2025 Aug 11; 15(8):e100965.. View in PubMed
• Factors Associated With Self-Report Symptom Screening Adherence in Pediatric Cancer Patients. Cancer Med. 2025 Jul; 14(14):e71053.. View in PubMed
• Factors influencing engagement in survivorship care among young adult survivors of hematologic malignancies: a mixed methods report. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Jun 25; 33(7):628.. View in PubMed
• Are guidelines guiding? A mixed methods study examining the integration of ASCO fertility discussion guidelines in practice among oncologists and adolescents and young adults at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Jun 19.. View in PubMed
• “Nothing Is as Great a Learning Experience as Getting a $15,000 Bill”: A Mixed-Methods Study of Young Adult Cancer Survivors’ Experience With Insurance Coverage. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Mar; 22(3):445-454.. View in PubMed
• Fertility Preservation Services for Adolescents and Young Adults: 2022 National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program Landscape Assessment. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Jan; 22(1):112-121.. View in PubMed
• Guideline-concordant treatment among adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025 Apr 30; 9(3).. View in PubMed
• Promoting Resilience in Stress Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Psychosocial Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults With Advanced Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Feb; 22(2):243-254.. View in PubMed
• Care Pathway- and Guideline-Consistent Care in Pediatric Cancer Symptom Management. JCO Oncol Pract. 2026 Feb; 22(2):235-242.. View in PubMed
• Achievement of durable remission of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia in a child using venetoclax monotherapy. Leuk Lymphoma. 2025 Jul; 66(7):1333-1337.. View in PubMed
• Feasibility and Safety of Intratympanic Administration of Sustained-Exposure Dexamethasone Thermosensitive Gel (OTO-104) for Prevention of Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss in Children: A Multisite Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Jun; 72(6):e31680.. View in PubMed
• Behind closed doors: a qualitative study exploring the content of fertility discussions between oncologists and their adolescent and young adult cancer patients from the perspective of oncologists at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Mar 21; 33(4):308.. View in PubMed
• Real-World Experience Using Sodium Thiosulfate Pentahydrate Off-Label for Cisplatin Otoprotection in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 May; 72(5):e31631.. View in PubMed
• Rethinking the rise of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: a call to action. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025 Jan 03; 9(1).. View in PubMed
• Symptom Screening Linked to Care Pathways for Pediatric Patients With Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2024 12 17; 332(23):1981-1991.. View in PubMed
• Otoprotective Effects of Sodium Thiosulfate by Demographic and Clinical Characteristics: A Report From Children’s Oncology Group Study ACCL0431. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Mar; 72(3):e31479.. View in PubMed
• Social health, activity behaviors, and quality of life among young adult cancer survivors: Protocol for a prospective observational study. PLoS One. 2024; 19(11):e0309924.. View in PubMed
• Late effects surveillance adherence among young adult childhood cancer survivors: A population-based study. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024 Dec; 71(12):e31328.. View in PubMed
• Financial distress and medical financial hardship among young adult survivors of blood cancer. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024 Sep 02; 8(5).. View in PubMed
• Survivorship after adolescent and young adult cancer: models of care, disparities, and opportunities. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Sep 01; 116(9):1417-1428.. View in PubMed
• Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among lesbian, gay, and bisexual survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Aug 12; 32(9):585.. View in PubMed
• Transfusional hemosiderosis in childhood cancer patients and survivors. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024 Oct; 71(10):e31220.. View in PubMed
• Correction: Developing national cancer survivorship standards to inform quality of care in the United States using a consensus approach. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Aug; 18(4):1200.. View in PubMed
• Cancer Survivorship Care in the United States at Facilities Accredited by the Commission on Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 07 01; 7(7):e2418736.. View in PubMed
• Resilience and distress among adolescents and young adults receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation: The Promoting Resilience in Stress Management randomized trial. Cancer. 2024 Oct 15; 130(20):3519-3529.. View in PubMed
• Developing national cancer survivorship standards to inform quality of care in the United States using a consensus approach. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 08; 18(4):1190-1199.. View in PubMed
• A de novo germline RUNX1 variant preceding development of concurrent T-lymphoblastic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Leuk Lymphoma. 2024 09; 65(9):1357-1361.. View in PubMed
• Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among Black survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Cancer. 2024 Sep 01; 130(17):3011-3022.. View in PubMed
• Development of a Patient-Reported Sexual Health Outcomes Battery for Use in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Clinical Trials. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2024 06; 13(3):369-373.. View in PubMed
• Defining Practice Capacity for Cancer Care Delivery to Adolescents and Young Adults in the Community Setting: 2022 Landscape Assessment Results. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2024 06; 13(3):557-563.. View in PubMed
• Characteristics of Health Care Settings Where Adolescents and Young Adults Receive Care for ALL. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 04; 20(4):491-502.. View in PubMed
• Population-Based Data Linkage Describing Patterns of Cancer Clinical Trial Enrollment Among Children and Adolescents. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 May; 20(5):631-642.. View in PubMed
• Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among Hispanic/Latino survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Psychooncology. 2023 12; 32(12):1918-1929.. View in PubMed
• Prevalence of Adverse Event Reporting in Adolescents and Young Adults Enrolled in Cancer Clinical Trials. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 11; 19(11):1048-1052.. View in PubMed
• Impact of Volumetric Dosimetry on the Projected Cost of Radiation-Related Late Effects Screening After Childhood Cancer: A Real-World Cohort Analysis. Oncologist. 2023 09 07; 28(9):e784-e792.. View in PubMed
• Sexual dysfunction among early-onset colorectal cancer survivors: Sex-specific correlates of sexual health discussions between patients and providers. Cancer Causes Control. 2024 Jan; 35(1):111-120.. View in PubMed
• Gaps in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Education in Oncology Fellowship Training. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2024 02; 13(1):97-104.. View in PubMed
• Children’s Oncology Group 2023 blueprint for research: Adolescent and young adult oncology. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 09; 70.. View in PubMed
• Reevaluation of sodium thiosulfate otoprotection using the consensus International Society of Paediatric Oncology Ototoxicity Scale: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group study ACCL0431. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 Jul 07.. View in PubMed
• Intravenous N-Acetylcysteine to Prevent Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss in Children: A Nonrandomized Controlled Phase I Trial. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 07 05; 29(13):2410-2418.. View in PubMed
• The Electronic Surviving Cancer Competently Intervention Program-a Psychosocial Digital Health Intervention for English- and Spanish-Speaking Parents of Children With Cancer: Protocol for Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Jun 02; 12:e46339.. View in PubMed
• Left Ventricle Size Correlates with Peak Exercise Capacity in Pediatric Cancer Survivors Exposed to Anthracycline Chemotherapy. Pediatr Cardiol. 2024 Oct; 45(7):1493-1502.. View in PubMed
• Efficacy and safety of FLAG-IDA as front-line therapy in de novo paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia population. Br J Haematol. 2023 07; 202(1):e3-e6.. View in PubMed
• Symptom management care pathway adaptation process and specific adaptation decisions. BMC Cancer. 2023 Apr 17; 23(1):350.. View in PubMed
• Risk of early death in adolescents and young adults with cancer: a population-based study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 04 11; 115(4):447-455.. View in PubMed
• Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on caregivers and adolescents and young adult survivors of childhood cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 06; 70(6):e30291.. View in PubMed
• Transition practices for survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group. J Cancer Surviv. 2023 04; 17(2):342-350.. View in PubMed
• Loss to follow-up of minorities, adolescents, and young adults on clinical trials: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer. 2023 05 15; 129(10):1547-1556.. View in PubMed
• Fertility Preservation Practices at Pediatric Oncology Institutions in the United States: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 04; 19(4):e550-e558.. View in PubMed
• Unmet Needs, Barriers, and Facilitators for Conducting Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research in Southern California: A Delphi Survey. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2023 10; 12(5):765-772.. View in PubMed
• Dexrazoxane and Long-Term Heart Function in Survivors of Childhood Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2023 04 20; 41(12):2248-2257.. View in PubMed
• Special considerations in the design and implementation of pediatric otoprotection trials. J Cancer Surviv. 2023 02; 17(1):4-16.. View in PubMed
• Patient Care Satisfaction and Emergency Room Utilization among Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Survivors during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Lessons Learned. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 06; 12(2).. View in PubMed
• The integration of primary care and childhood cancer survivorship care: a scoping review. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Jun; 18(3):635-650.. View in PubMed
• Substance Use Among Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer With Cognitive Impairment: An Analysis of the Project Forward Cohort. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 03; 19(3):e345-e354.. View in PubMed
• Prevalence and correlates of skin examination among ethnically diverse young adult survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer Med. 2023 04; 12(7):8557-8566.. View in PubMed
• Capturing the young child’s reports of cancer treatment tolerability: Does our practice reflect an assumption that they cannot report? Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 01; 70(1):e30028. Reeve BB, Hernandez . View in PubMed
• Risk of Presenting with Poor-Prognosis Metastatic Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Population-Based Study. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Oct 08; 14(19).. View in PubMed
• Longitudinal use of patient reported outcomes in pediatric leukemia and lymphoma reveals clinically relevant symptomatic adverse events. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 12; 69(12):e29986.. View in PubMed
• Clinical Trial Participation: A Qualitative Study of Adolescents and Younger Adults Recently Diagnosed with Cancer. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2023 Jun; 12(3):303-313.. View in PubMed
• Social networks of oncology clinicians as a means for increasing survivorship clinic referral. Commun Med (Lond). 2022; 2:89.. View in PubMed
• Fertility Preservation Discussions Between Young Adult Rectal Cancer Survivors and Their Providers: Sex-Specific Prevalence and Correlates. Oncologist. 2022 07 05; 27(7):579-586.. View in PubMed
• Palliative care among adult cancer survivors: Knowledge, attitudes, and correlates. Palliat Support Care. 2022 06; 20(3):342-347.. View in PubMed
• Integrating primary care and childhood cancer survivorship care: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open. 2022 05 16; 12(5):e059050.. View in PubMed
• Comparing Barriers and Facilitators to Adolescent and Young Adult Clinical Trial Enrollment Across High- and Low-Enrolling Community-Based Clinics. Oncologist. 2022 05 06; 27(5):363-370.. View in PubMed
• Sodium thiosulfate for prevention of cisplatin-induced hearing loss: updated survival from ACCL0431. Lancet Oncol. 2022 05; 23(5):570-572.. View in PubMed
• Survival of Adolescents and Young Adults with Prevalent Poor-Prognosis Metastatic Cancers: A Population-Based Study of Contemporary Patterns and Their Implications. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 04 01; 31(4):900-908.. View in PubMed
• Lack of Concordance in Symptomatic Adverse Event Reporting by Children, Clinicians, and Caregivers: Implications for Cancer Clinical Trials. J Clin Oncol. 2022 05 20; 40(15):1623-1634.. View in PubMed
• Shared barriers and facilitators to enrollment of adolescents and young adults on cancer clinical trials. Sci Rep. 2022 03 09; 12(1):3875.. View in PubMed
• Cardiometabolic Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 Mar 01; 31(3):536-542.. View in PubMed
• Southern California Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Survivorship (SC-PACS): Establishing a Multi-Institutional Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Consortium in Southern California. Cureus. 2022 Feb; 14(2):e21981.. View in PubMed
• Current pediatric cancer survivorship practices: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group. J Cancer Surviv. 2023 08; 17(4):1139-1148.. View in PubMed
• DNMT3A overgrowth syndrome is associated with the development of hematopoietic malignancies in children and young adults. Blood. 2022 01 20; 139(3):461-464.. View in PubMed

• Orgel, Etan
• Wiemels, Joseph
• Lenz, Heinz-Josef
• Hamilton, Ann
• Matsuo, Koji
• Choi, Janet