Young people with cancer
Young people with cancer
Author
Introduction
Cancer Research UK estimates that there are 33,800 people alive today who were diagnosed with cancer at ages 15 to 24. Teenagers and young adults (TYAs) with cancer benefit from significant levels of support both from the NHS and age-specific charities until the age of 24. But after that age, they move from specialised children’s services to mainstream adult cancer services, a transition that is often difficult for them, with many young cancer patients missing out on important psychological and medical support.
2022 Award
Ceinwen Giles (CF 2013) is Co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support, a patient-led UK charity that supports adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. At Shine, they have long been aware that they are missing many adults in their mid-20s who have been discharged from specialist children’s services and don’t know where to go for extra support. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also recognised that there is a need for young adults to be empowered to manage their own care.
Ceinwen has been awarded one of our Activate grants to design and deliver a pilot programme that will target the psychosocial needs of young adults transitioning out of specialised TYA support and into mainstream adult cancer services. Her project will connect these people with others like them, and will give them relevant knowledge and skills to cope with the transition. The funding will cover the cost of research into the needs of these patients; the design of an online programme to support them to take control of their own mental and physical health; the testing of the programme for up to 12 young adults; an assessment and evaluation of the programme with its participants; refinement of the programme based on feedback; and then delivery of the final programme. Alongside this, Ceinwen and her colleagues at Shine will produce a booklet on transitioning to adult services, co-created with young adults, which will be distributed to healthcare professionals and other cancer charities.
Ceinwen hopes to provide a programme of support to meet the specific needs of this particular group, which can then be scaled up and replicated across the UK.
Ceinwen’s Fellowship explored innovative support to young adult cancer survivors.
2022 Award
Ceinwen Giles (CF 2013) is Co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support, a patient-led UK charity that supports adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. At Shine, they have long been aware that they are missing many adults in their mid-20s who have been discharged from specialist children’s services and don’t know where to go for extra support. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also recognised that there is a need for young adults to be empowered to manage their own care.
Ceinwen has been awarded one of our Activate grants to design and deliver a pilot programme that will target the psychosocial needs of young adults transitioning out of specialised TYA support and into mainstream adult cancer services. Her project will connect these people with others like them, and will give them relevant knowledge and skills to cope with the transition. The funding will cover the cost of research into the needs of these patients; the design of an online programme to support them to take control of their own mental and physical health; the testing of the programme for up to 12 young adults; an assessment and evaluation of the programme with its participants; refinement of the programme based on feedback; and then delivery of the final programme. Alongside this, Ceinwen and her colleagues at Shine will produce a booklet on transitioning to adult services, co-created with young adults, which will be distributed to healthcare professionals and other cancer charities.
Ceinwen hopes to provide a programme of support to meet the specific needs of this particular group, which can then be scaled up and replicated across the UK.
Ceinwen’s Fellowship explored innovative support to young adult cancer survivors.