Children and young people

Patients:

Children and young people with cancer are sometimes known as paediatric cancer patients.

National guidelines on the care and treatment of children and young people recognises that the needs of children and young people with cancer are different from those of adults with cancer.

For example, during childhood and adolescence young people undergo physical changes, and these may affect which type of cancer they have, how it needs to be treated, and how well treatment works for them.

Children and young adults also undergo psychological changes, and these may influence how treatment affects them emotionally at the time they are having it as well as in the long term.

Someone close has cancer:

There are some excellent resources to support parents and families in talking to children and young people.

Parents are the best judge of how much information your child/children can handle about illness. Young people might be most comfortable researching information on-line.

Macmillan Cancer support has a YouthLine aimed at 12 - 21 year olds.