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