Research shows that teens and young adults with certain kinds of cancer have much better treatment results when they’re treated at a pediatric hospital like Akron Children’s. Nearly 40% of our patients are adolescents and young adults, and the care we provide goes beyond helping them beat cancer.
Teens and young adults with cancer often face different personal, emotional, social and medical challenges than younger children and older adults. Even their response to therapy and risks for side effects are different.
That’s why we developed a dedicated program to help cancer patients 12 to 25 years of age through all stages of their healthcare journey, from diagnosis and treatment to remission and survivorship. We offer everything from fertility preservation and access to the latest clinical trials, including phase 1 and targeted therapies.
Our team includes pediatric oncologists, reproductive medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers, child life specialists, pharmacists and patient navigators. Together, they provide care that not only addresses the disease but also our patients' educational, emotional, academic, financial and psychological needs.
Research is crucial to advancing targeted therapies and developing new, effective treatments. Our pediatric hematology-oncology division participates in national clinical trials for childhood cancers as well as research that explores the causes and treatment of these diseases. Our participation in the Children’s Oncology Group and the Advanced Cancer Therapies Network (ACTN) provides our patients with access to novel and promising pediatric cancer research therapies.
Our School and Community Oncology Outreach Program (SCOOP) is aimed at supporting our patients' social and academic needs. It includes an oncology outreach coordinator and a schoolteacher. Together, they help patients make a smooth transition back to school after an extended absence.
Just as the treatment of childhood cancer requires a very specialized approach, so does the follow-up and monitoring of late effects, which can be subtle and difficult to diagnose. We care for any childhood cancer survivor who has been off treatment for 2 years, up to age 25. We also help childhood cancer survivors transition to adulthood and serve as a resource for their primary care doctor.
