Young Cancer Patients Often Lack Support: Study

July 23rd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — Many teens and young adults
diagnosed with cancer aren’t receiving the social, psychological and
informational support they require, new research suggests.

Cancer patients aged 14 to 39 have different needs and issues than
younger and older patients, the researchers explained.

“When patients in this age group are diagnosed with cancer, they face
issues — premature confrontation with mortality, changes in physical
appearance, disruptions in school or work, financial challenges and loss
of reproductive capacity — that can all be particularly distressing,”
study lead author Bradley Zebrack, associate professor of social work at
the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in a university news
release.

“Whether it’s mental health care, information for topics like
infertility or other aspects of care like camps or retreat programs, this
study shows that many of these patients aren’t getting the care they need
to address these unique challenges,” he added.

Zebrack and colleagues surveyed 215 newly diagnosed teen and young
adult cancer patients. Those in their 20s were much less likely than teens
or patients in their 30s to use mental-health services and were more
likely to report an unmet need for information about cancer, infertility
and diet.

Young adults who were treated in adult, rather than pediatric, cancer
facilities were more likely than teens who were treated in pediatric
facilities to report an unmet need for age-appropriate websites,
mental-health services, camp and retreat programs, transportation
assistance and complementary and alternative health services.

The study was published online recently in the journal
Cancer.

The lack of research involving teen and young adult cancer patients
makes it difficult for health care providers to create age-appropriate
services for them, Zebrack said. This study might help change that.

“Our research shows increasing patient referral to community-based
social service agencies and reputable Internet resources can enhance the
care and improve the quality of life for this group of patients,” Zebrack
said. “The more we know about their needs, the better support health care
professionals will be able to provide.”

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about support
for people with cancer.