A time to shine a spotlight on major challenges faced by Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA: aged 15-39) cancer patients on top of the difficulties that come with any cancer diagnosis. 💛🙏💙
Key Stats at a glance-
* About 85,000 AYAs are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States.
* Based on estimates 85.8% of AYAs diagnosed with cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years after diagnosis.
Body image: Cancer treatments can cause physical changes like hair loss, scarring, and weight gain/loss. This can be especially difficult for young adults who are already self-conscious about their appearance.
Social isolation: Treatment can make it hard to maintain relationships with friends and family. Young adults may feel isolated due to weakened immune systems or simply because their peers don't understand what they're going through.
Emotional distress: A cancer diagnosis can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Young adults may also feel angry and resentful about having their lives upended by cancer.
Career disruption: Cancer diagnosis and treatment can derail a young adult's education and career plans. Treatments may require frequent hospital visits, leading to missed classes or work. The physical side effects of treatment can also make it difficult to concentrate or keep up with a demanding job. This disruption can cause financial hardship and leave young adults feeling behind their peers.
Fertility preservation: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can damage reproductive organs, impacting fertility in both men and women. This is a critical issue for young adults who may not be ready to start a family yet, but want the option to do so in the future. Unfortunately, fertility preservation options like egg or sperm freezing can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance. This adds a significant financial burden to an already stressful situation.
Young adults with cancer need to seek out support and advocate for their needs. 🎗️
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