What do young people with cancer need from the Autumn Statement?

Since 1990, the number of young people diagnosed with cancer has increased 24% each year in the UK – that’s a huge rise, and means a growing demand that needs specialist care. Young cancer patients report better experiences and outcomes when treated in age-appropriate environments and supported by specialist staff, but workforce pressures are leading to staff being stretched thin. 

We welcomed NHS England’s announcement of the Faster Diagnosis Standard in August, but it’s an ambitious target, and one that will need the NHS workforce to deliver it – from running diagnostic tests to analysing results and providing this information back to patients. We need the Government to provide much-needed detail as to how capacity within cancer care will be increased. 

No young person with cancer should miss out on the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial just because of their age.    

Clinical trials open up the possibilities of new and better treatments for cancer – but they can be difficult for young cancer patients to access.  

However, for young people, there are a few barriers that might prevent them from taking part such as a lack of trials available for their age group and a lack of age-appropriate information about trials. 

Young people also face challenges with travelling to-and-from appointments, which can be both costly financially and in terms of their time. Financial costs can be reimbursed, but it can take months, so it’s still a huge weight for young people to carry.  

It’s welcome to see the Government recognising the importance of clinical trials, but we’re now asking for the Government to consider the investments necessary to increase the number of trials available and reduce the barriers to accessing them for young people. 

Sometimes common cancer treatments can affect your fertility further down the line, and so it’s important young people are able to access measures to preserve their fertility if it’s possible to do so.  

We also know that even after you have had fertility preserving measures (like freezing your eggs, sperm or ovarian tissue), the cost of storing your tissue, and who pays for it, varies widely across England.  

For example, there are some parts of England where storage will be covered for you for only five years. As a young person, it’s tough to have to make a decision as to whether you would like to continue to fund the storage yourself, which can be hundreds of pounds per year.  

We are calling on the Government to commit to further research and investment to ensure young people with cancer have appropriate treatment offered, and that funding is no longer a postcode lottery.

We have told the Treasury what young cancer patients need from the Government in the Autumn Statement and beyond. We have also shared our priorities with MPs of all Political Party’s and asked they raise our calls in Parliament. Cancer is the biggest disease-related cause of death for this age-group, so it’s vital young peoples’ voices are heard when decisions are being made about their care.  

And with an upcoming General Election on the horizon next year, we will be calling on all parties to consider the unique needs of young people in their plans for cancer care.