Hospitals open dedicated cancer care units for teens, young adults

In a push to provide better care and obtain better outcomes, more hospitals plan to open dedicated teen and young adult cancer units based on a model developed by the Teenage Cancer Trust in the U.K., according to The Wall Street Journal. The model features medical oncologists, pediatric specialists, therapists and social workers who offer an integrated approach to medical treatment, emotional issues, fertility counseling and clinical trials. The initiative aims to address the needs of patients ages 13 to 26 who typically experience delays in diagnosis due to clinicians attributing their symptoms to something else, according to the article. Approximately one in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20, the American Cancer Society reports. Article