Young Adult Cancer: We Get It; It's Different!

MBH team with YACC founder Geoff Eaton &
Edmonton supporter Dan.

Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC)'s message couldn't be louder or clearer: "We get it; cancer is different for young adults." Even though the big C hurts at any age, young adults suffer longer as they deal with the interruption of their formative years and being "different" early in life: building an education, career, and family is interrupted. A survivor young adult will live longer years in hardship, often times before building a career. An MBH team of educators and social media representatives attended a teleconference at the Cross Cancer Foundation in Edmonton by YACC's founder, Geoff Eaton, and we were inspired and amazed.

Geoff was in his sweet 20s and doing exactly what a young adult would have been doing that age when he learned he had Acute Myeloid Leukemia. at an early stage, he had to learn how to deal with talking to strangers about such a sensitive matter that touched all aspects of his life such as finances and fertility, and spent most of his 20s preparing to recover from the treatments. He was lucky enough to have had his own beautiful babies in spite of the bone marrow transplant. Geoff's inspiration to make it easier for other young adults resulted in founding the Young Adults Cancer Canada (YACC).

Dan, an Edmontonian supporter of YACC, has had a peculiar experience at the age of 21, 4th year political science student, learning he had Mediastinal Germ Cell Cancer (testicular cancer in his chest--relating this humorously reflected Dan's admirable strength). He went through chemo therapy, surgery, chemo therapy again, radiation treatment, stem cell transplant, and hydro treatment. Dan continued his political science degree and work. In 2009, at his 5-year cancer-free mark, he got involved in YACC.

Geoff stated that 7,000-10,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year in Canada (19/day), around 700 in Alberta yearly. 30% of their productive years is lost; 83% of those young adults will survive and live years with the late effects. Geoff mentioned an array of sensitive issues a young adult with cancer will deal with such as:

(1) isolation during diagnosis, treatment and recovery, (2) struggling to achieve independence from parents, (3) limited access to education, (4) starting and developing a career, (5) problems having financial independence, (6) finding a partner and knowing when to break the news of having gone through cancer or having one breast or testicle removed, (7) becoming a parent and preserving fertility through cancer treatment, and (8) having a normal social life with peers their age. This is so hard to deal with alone and the team at MBH wants to take a small part in connecting with and promoting YACC's mission and varied services.

We learned about so many services YACC provides to overcome the above hardships for young adults with cancer or survivors. Among the programs provided are retreats, conferences, and online resources. 

- Retreat Yourself, weekends offering chances to YAs with cancer to meet and share their experiences. 

- Retreat Yourself Adventure, where YA survivors are invited to "address survivorship issues while taking part in an adventure that will challenge them physically and mentally and push their limits".

-Shave for the Brave, an amazing initiative that you have to check out. "Each dollar from Shave for the Brave helps YAs in Canada deal with cancer through supportive and informative programs."

- Survivor Conference, bringing together survivor YAs to "connect and learn things that can help move forward or beyond the cancer experience." 

- Touch Yourself, Treat Yourself, a invitation to self exam for breast and testicular cancers. The invitation's logo is "Your life is in your hands...literally." Women, "Know your breasts; Take note of changes; Go with what you know".

    

- We get It, a video initiative "to reach out to more YAs" and "tell them we do get it and that we've got programs custom made for them" (click to watch and order free DVD). Here are a couple of videos: 

(1) Difference: 

(2) Isolation: 

(3) Fertility: 

At MBH Edmonton we are trying to include more young adult audiences to benefit from our multicultural and multilingual services and are glad that the team is establishing connections with YACC especially that they are active in breast cancer in young adult women initiatives. Check the Rethink Breast Cancer Survey in Young Women in Canada: A Needs Assessment report and see for yourself how support is highly needed for the young adult segment in our population. 

Finally, Public Health Agency of Canada published a report on Cancer in Young Adults in Canada that recommended more research is needed to study the causes of cancer among young adults and the relation to practices such as tanning and smoking. Among the interesting findings are:
- Almost two-thirds of young adult cancers occur in young women. Of these, breast cancer is the most common," "cancer is the main cause of early death among young adult women, 

- More young women than young men are now diagnosed with, and die from, lung cancer, 

- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men, and its incidence rose between 1983 and 1999, 

- Melanoma is the second most common cancer among young adults, 

- Increases in incidence are most striking for thyroid cancer in young men and women, lymphoma in young women and testicular cancer, and 

- Incidence is decreasing among young adults for many preventable cancers. Young Canadians appear to be increasingly following three main recommendations -- avoiding smoking, minimizing sun exposure and having regular Pap tests.

We invite you to: 

    Connect with YACC and sign up for their newsletters, draws on free trips, and support them by donations. Like YACC's Facebook page and Follow YACC on Twitter. Check the Localife Edmonton page on YACC website for events and venues in Edmonton. Email at: localifeedmonton@youngadultcancer.ca and get in touch with YAC Edmontonians like Ashley and Dan.

What could you have done in such a life-altering experience? Share your experiences and thoughts below! 

Resources:

-   Teleconference (May 1st, 2013) at Cross Cancer Foundation by Geoff Eaton, YACC Founder
-   Young Adult Cancer Canada: http://www.youngadultcancer.ca/
-   Meet the Man who had Testicular Cancer in his Chest: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1291760/Meet-man-testicular-cancer--chest.html
-   Cancer in Young Adults in Canada at Public Health Agencey of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cyac-cjac06/index-eng.php
-   "Cancer Care Ontario: Cancer in Young Adults in Canada, Toronto, Canada, 2006." May 2006, ISBN 0-921325-10-X (print), ISBN 0-921325-11-8 (pdf)