Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month April 2023

Cancer doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed. It can have a huge impact on family, friends and partners too, and navigating your relationships with the people around you – as well as forming new ones – can be especially challenging when you’re young.

Jordan, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer aged 21, says:

“It’s hard at such a young age when you’ve just figured out your groups and friends, to then have that dramatically changed. When going through cancer, my outlook on life totally changed and I matured so much. This affected the relationships in my life – I found I could no longer relate to them and didn’t feel like I fitted in to some of my friendships and relationships.”

Hair loss, weight changes and scarring are just a few possible side effects of cancer treatment. Young people can face these worries about their body at a time when they’re still figuring out who they are and how they want the world to see them.

Perri, who was diagnosed with a type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma in her breast aged 21, says:

“Having a mastectomy at the age of 22 really made me feel self-conscious and isolated. I struggled for a long time with how I looked and how others perceived me. Body image is so important to me as a topic as it affects nearly every young person diagnosed with cancer. We shouldn’t need to feel ashamed or worried about our bodies as they have been through so much.”

Facing cancer when you’re young can be incredibly tough, both physically and mentally. Depression, anxiety and panic attacks are common among young people with cancer, and the damage can be long-lasting – so getting the right support is vital.

Alex, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma aged 23, says:

“My mental health was affected massively. Everything was building up and I was initially bottling it all up. I felt so thankful that [my Teenage Cancer Trust Nurse] Amanda took time out of her day to listen to me. She also put me in touch with a psychologist who I could talk to if I needed. It helped massively. I would definitely recommend that people find someone to speak to as bottling things up just makes it worse.”

Some cancer treatments can affect fertility. For many young people diagnosed, it may well be the first time they’ve ever had to think about whether they want children of their own. Every young person should get the chance to have an open, honest conversation about fertility preservation options with their clinical team.

Amy, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma aged 23, says:

“The consultant asked if I’d thought about the future and having children. Me and my boyfriend had only been together a year and a half and we hadn’t had that conversation. I decided to freeze my eggs because I didn’t know what the future held. I was diagnosed on the Tuesday, and on the Thursday I was having a fertility consultation. That whole week was so overwhelming, it all happened so quickly and there was so much going on I hardly had time to think about it.”