The Chronicle Herald has published Young Cancer Patients Unique, by health reporter, John Gillis, who highlights the need for special programs for teens and young adults diagnosed with cancer. In the column, he interviews Dr. Conrad Fernandez, an IWK Health Centre pediatric oncologist who states that teens and young adults with cancer are an orphaned group of patients whose distinct diseases and needs are not a focus of either child or adult cancer care programs.

According to Dr. Fernandez, the survival rate for people between 15 and 29 with cancer is lower than for children for a variety of complex reasons. Over half of children getting treatment for cancer are enrolled in clinical trials, but there are not as many opportunities for teens and young adults to be involved in research because they often fall outside the age cutoffs for both pediatric and adult trials. Dr. Fernandez said there has been a big push in the last five years to increase the accessibility to clinical trials for teens and young adults. The other reasons for lower survival rates for teens and young adults with cancer is discussed in Young Cancer Patients Unique.