Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care
Addressing the needs of young patients
When facing cancer, adolescents and young adults confront different personal, psychosocial and medical challenges than younger children and older adults.
Issues related to school, work, childcare, fertility, genetics, sexuality, psychology and financial concerns are complex and require a multidisciplinary approach to ensure these needs are met. That's why Prisma Health created the Adolescent and& Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program — a collaborative program offering coordinated cancer care for young adults ages 15–39. Bringing together specialized care providers from both the pediatric and adult worlds, our doctors and caregivers are committed to improving outcomes for AYA patients.
Call 864-454-2922 for more information.
What to expect
During your initial visit, you will meet with the core team and address the following issues:
- Discussion and referral to cancer genetics if indicated
- Discussion of issues related to fertility preservation and sexuality
- Discussion of whether supportive care clinical trials are appropriate for you
- Assessment of unmet social, financial, psychological and spiritual needs
You will continue to be treated and cared for by your primary oncologist; however, the AYA team will provide additional support during your time in cancer therapy, and after its completion.
Unmatched access to clinical trials
The AYA population is one of the least represented groups in clinical trials. Less than 10% of patients between ages 15-39 are enrolled in clinical trials. In an era of novel drug developments and major breakthroughs in cancer care, it is imperative that we increase access to clinical trials for our AYA patients to provide them with potentially life-changing therapies and supportive care services.
Through collaboration between our pediatric and medical oncology departments, our AYA patients now have access to over 100 clinical trials through both the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and industry-sponsored and cooperative group adult trials through the Prisma Health Cancer Institute.