Improving Outcomes for Teenagers and Young Adults (TYA) with Cancer

The management of TYA with cancer is characterized by biological features in comparison to children. Therefore specialized treatment units have been established within professional structures of care for this group, and a European multidisciplinary framework for the treatment of TYA with cancer was founded. Objectives are to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and provide strategic concepts to improve patient care centered to the special needs of this age group. Access to clinical trials for all TYA in the EU will be improved and research initiated, examining biology, epidemiology and health services. Special goals of the interprofessional cooperation are: Improvement in survival and the quality of survival, where TYA are disadvantaged by existing structures of care. Provision of all the required expertise in dedicated and effective multiprofessional teams, sometimes across traditional healthcare boundaries. Provision of an environment for care that meets the specific needs of TYA. Different measurements are discussed improving outcomes for TYA is proceeding at different speeds in different parts of the world. In some there are established teams, bringing together paediatric and adult specialists from many healthcare professions, reviewing and contributing to the optimal care of all TYA with cancer as part of national health policy.