The Wilmot Cancer Institute is joining forces with a local non-profit to help teens and young adults who are facing a cancer diagnosis.
Dr. Louis Constine, an oncologist at Wilmot, says the new program will connect patients with the support and wellness services offered by Melissa's Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation through a cancer survivorship specialist. "And that person will meet the patient when they are early in their treatment course, or ideally, at diagnosis, and help them understand what they are going through and accompany them on this journey through treatment and thereafter."
Constine says young adults and teens who survive an initial cancer battle remain at risk of recurrence and other serious health issues related to their treatment. "There can be effects of the chemotherapy and radiation on the heart, or on the lungs, or kidneys, or on fertility. These are problems we can help patients with if we understand that they are occurring."
When cancer strikes early in life, it also takes a significant emotional and psychological toll on patients. "When these patients are afflicted by cancer, it is at a time in their lives when they are experiencing many changes. And the challenges that the cancer diagnosis presents to them, for some patients can be overwhelming, and for all patients, it is life-altering."
The new initiative will expand services to patients between the ages of 13 and 29 and their parents. It's part of the Judy DiMarzo Cancer Survivorship Program.
