I'm Too Young For This! : A Place For Young Adults Affected By Cancer

About Us Community Music Get Help Now! Get Involved! News/Events Supporters Donate

Advocacypalooza

Closing the Gap is the product of the first public-private collaborative partnership of its kind between the National Cancer Institute and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The nation's leading researchers and clinicians in adolescent and young adult oncology joined with cancer survivors, advocates, statisticians and insurance and pharmaceutical industry representatives to develop recommendations for a national agenda to advance adolescent and young adult oncology. The goal of this report is to organize individuals and raise public awareness to the reality of cancer as a major health problem for adolescents and young adults as well as the unique challenges they face when treated.

The Closing The Gap: A Strategic Plan is the follow-up document to the above progress review group (PRG) policy report that discloses implementation strategies to enact a plan for reducing the unequal burden of cancer experienced by young adults. The goal of this report is for both the young adult oncology and advocacy communities to (1) actively participate in addressing PRG recommendations, (2) align priorities with PRG recommendations, (3) develop funding announcements, design clinical trials, and introduce new training opportunities and (4) support research applications in response to PRG recommendations.

The National Call to Action (NCTA) brings together the best strategies on cancer prevention and survivorship in order to resonate with America's diverse populations and re-engage all sectors of society in the fight against cancer. More than 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and at least half of those new cases can be prevented or detected earlier when they are most treatable. This NCTA outlines goals and strategies for action, providing a roadmap for the private sector, policymakers, and all Americans to take decisive action in making cancer prevention and survivorship a national priority.

Cancer care in the 21st century often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the experience of illness. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the delivery of psychosocial services to cancer patients and their families and identify ways to improve it. This report recommends ten actions that oncology providers, health policy makers, educators, health insurers, health plans, quality oversight organizations, researchers and research sponsors, and consumer advocates should undertake to ensure that this standard is met.

The National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies is a public health effort to address the issues faced by the growing number of cancer survivors living with, through, and beyond cancer that identifies and prioritizes cancer survivorship needs and proposes strategies for addressing those needs. A collaborative joint venture between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, this strategy represents the combined effort of almost 100 experts in the fields of cancer survivorship and public health.

The Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers were developed as a collaborative effort of the Nursing Discipline and the Late Effects Committee. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide recommendations for screening and management of late effects that may potentially arise as a result of therapeutic exposures used during treatment for pediatric malignancies. These guidelines represent a statement of consensus from a panel of experts in the late effects of pediatric cancer treatment.

The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is free, award-winning audio program that teaches skills that can help people with cancer meet the challenges of their illness. The Toolbox covers important topics including communicating, finding information, making decisions and solving problems, as well as negotiating and standing up for your rights. The Toolbox is a collaborative project of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Oncology Nursing Society, the Association of Oncology Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers. It helps those in need to make the best possible decisions about their care.

From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition is a publication of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that focuses on survivors of adult cancer during the phase of care that follows primary treatment. The book raises awareness of the medical, functional, and psychosocial consequences of cancer and its treatment. Quality health care strategies for cancer survivors are identified as well as steps to achieve them. It also recommends improvement in quality of life for through policies that ensure access to psychosocial services, fair employment practices, and health insurance. For additional information, or to order a hard copy, visit IOM's website.

The Institute of Medicine's report, Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life outlines a comprehensive policy agenda that links improved health care delivery and follow-up, investments in education and training for health care providers, and expanded research to improve the long-term outlook for this growing population now exceeding 270,000 Americans. To order or download a copy of this report or to learn more about how childhood cancer is one of oncology's greatest success stories, visit IOM's website.

In Meeting Psychosocial Needs of Women with Breast Cancer, the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine examines the psychosocial consequences of the cancer experience. The book focuses specifically on breast cancer in women because this group has the largest survivor population and this disease is the most extensively studied cancer from the standpoint of psychosocial effects. The report assesses the status of professional education and training along with applied clinical and health services research to propose policies to improve quality of life for women with breast cancer and their families. For more information visit IOM's website.

Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment is a publication of the National Cancer Institute that covers post-treatment issues such as follow-up medical care, physical and emotional changes, changes in social relationships, and workplace issues. This booklet is part of the 'Facing Forward Series' of publications for cancer survivors, family members, and medical professionals. The series is designed to educate and empower cancer survivors as they face the practical challenges associated with life after cancer treatment. For additional information, or to order a hard copy, visit the NCI's official website.

Facing Forward Series: Ways You Can Make A Difference is a publication of the National Cancer Institute that covers post-treatment issues such as follow-up medical care, physical and emotional changes, changes in social relationships, and workplace issues. Cancer survivors and those who are close to them, as well as people who have lost someone to cancer, know what it is like to live with cancer. Getting involved in cancer-related activities is like a two-way street. When you help others, you also help yourself. Here are some benefits of getting involved in cancer-related activities. For additional information, or to order a hard copy, visit the NCI's official website.

The President's Cancer Panel (PCP) is an advisory group established by Congress that reports directly to the president of the United States on progress and problems in the Nation's effort to reduce the burden of cancer. The PCP consists of three persons appointed by the president who, by virtue of their training, experience and background, are exceptionally qualified to appraise the U.S. National Cancer Program. To read the PCP's charter, biographies of its members, and reports from past meetings, visit the Panel's web site official website.

The 2007 National Cancer Institute's Strategic Plan For Leading The Nation discusses the nation's investment in 'eliminating death and suffering due to cancer' by the year 2015 and serves as a blueprint and organizational roadmap to achieving those goals. This plan also sets forth a framework within which NCI can lead and work with others to address some of the most perplexing challenges of cancer. This document has been conceived by NCI leadership and staff with ongoing input from our NCI advisory groups and regular interactions with the cancer research and advocacy communities. The NCI hopes it can serve as a guide for decision making both at NCI and across the cancer community.

The International Union Against Cancer (UICC) is devoted exclusively to all aspects of the worldwide fight against cancer. Founded in 1933, UICC is a non-governmental, independent association of more than 270 member organizations in over 80 countries. UICC's vision is of a world where cancer is eliminated as a major life-threatening disease for future generations. UICC's objectives are to advance scientific and medical knowledge in research, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, and to promote all other aspects of the campaign against cancer throughout the world. Particular emphasis is placed on professional and public education. For additional information about UICC, visit their website.

GET CONNECTED

• community home
• support channels
• get help now
• find local chapters
• young adult leadership council
• volunteer opportunities
– stupid cancer happy hour

SOCIAL MEDIA

• stupid cancer radio
• stupid cancer TV
• the stupid cancer blog
• i[2]y online – go guerilla

MUSIC & ART

• music home
• music projects
– i[2]y Volume One
– i[2]y Volume Two
– Both Sides of The Coin
• arts programming
– cancertainers
– cancerpalooza
• 'art of survivorship' coalition
– charter members

Feeling isolated? The channels below will connect you with hundreds of age-appropriate resources and open the door to socially network with countless thousands of young adult survivors and caregivers.