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In teens and young adults cancer is relatively rare but around 7 young people between 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK.

What is cancer?
  • It’s a disease caused by the cells in the body growing out of control and making abnormal cells
  • In teens and young adults it’s relatively rare but around 7 young people between 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK
  • Many cancers in teens and young people can be cured with treatment
Causes
  • Most causes are unknown, especially in young people – however it isn’t anything you have done that’s caused it
  • Rarely it can be caused by a faulty gene inherited through a family
  • Risk factors can include: smoking, excessive sun exposure
  • You cannot catch it
Types of cancer
  • Ovarian
  • Testicular
  • Thyroid
  • Sarcoma
  • Leukaemia (acute lymphoblastic & acute myeloid)
  • Hodgkin Lymphoma & non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Brain Tumours
How is it treated?
  • It depends on the type, size, location and if it has spread anywhere else
  • The main treatments are:
    • Surgery – removing the cancer
    • Chemotherapy – anti-cancer drugs to destroy the abnormal cells
    • Radiotherapy – high energy x-ray treatment
    • Biological therapies & monoclonal antibodies
Tests & Scans
  • Are used to diagnose cancer
  • Can show how you’re doing during and after treatment
What to do if you get diagnosed
  • It can be scary and you may not be certain what it means but you are not alone
  • Try and get support from family, friends and the health care professionals looking after you
  • Sometimes people find that researching the cancer can help as it enables you to understand it more and see if there are any ways to help yourself

Source: Macmillan.org.uk


Support available
  • Friends and family
  • Doctors and nurses
  • Charities such as:
    • Teenage Cancer Trust : Monday – Friday (9am-5:30pm) on 0207 6120370
    • Macmillan Cancer Support: Monday – Friday (9am-8pm) on 0808 8080000

Find out more at:

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us 

https://www.nhs.uk/young-cancer-care/pages/index.aspx

Macmillan has produced a very useful guide about Teenage cancer for download

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/teensandyoungadults/imstillme.aspx