AYA Cancer Survivorship: Younger Survivors Face Different Challenges and Prefer More Casual Support Programs

A few years ago, ONS member Amy Gundelach, RN, MSN, AG-CNS-BC, OCN^®, survivorship program coordinator at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Comprehensive Cancer Center in Albuquerque, was managing two male patients—a 25-year-old and a 30-year-old—who were seeking a survivorship support group of young adult peers and a survivorship therapist for young adults. She discovered that her institution didn’t have any materials tailored specifically tailored for young adult cancer survivors’ needs, compared to their older counterparts.