One of the objectives in the
SIOPE Strategic Plan is to address the specific needs of adolescents and young adults, in cooperation with adult oncology. This is why the ESMO-SIOPE Joint Working Group on Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) was created in 2016.
Although cancer in AYA is rare, it is a substantial cause of death in this population. AYA have specific and unmet needs, including complex psychological and social supportive care. Outcomes are often poorer than in younger patients with the same cancer, and several contributing factors have been identified: the type of tumours, their biology and sensitivity to current therapies, as well as the low participation of AYA in clinical trials.
Therefore, SIOPE aims to develop a comprehensive multidisciplinary programme in strong partnership with adult oncologists and patients, which will include the following aspects:
- To create a European multidisciplinary network on AYA cancers that covers care and research and includes all health professionals and patients;
- At the national level, to help in the creation of AYA cancer services, which provide the required complex multidisciplinary care;
- To define a training programme for health professionals addressing the specific needs of AYA;
- To increase the portfolio of clinical trials for AYA, and increase their accessibility to all AYA patients;
- To monitor progress in AYA terms of survival, using the clinical epidemiology platform.
Following the collaborative efforts in the educational arena between the two societies (see the
ESMO E-learning module in collaboration with SIOPE on cancer in adolescents and young adults) since 2014, the ESMO-SIOPE Working Group promotes education in cancer topics specific to this population, raises awareness on specific cancer issues in teenagers and young adults and advocates for more research in tumour types affecting these patients. This Working Group is chaired by Giannis Mountzios (ESMO) and Stefan Bielack (SIOPE) and, in case specific actions are needed – e.g. to optimise approaches to diagnosis, treatment and long term follow-up of these specific patient population – it will also liaise with other committees from the two societies.
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