Navigating cancer in young adults: a nurse navigator’s perspective
Cancer in young people: Part of a series on diagnosing and treating young adults
Expert takeaways from: Tara Sweeney, BSN, RN, OCN, CHPN, lead oncology nurse navigator
Everyone's experience is truly unique after a cancer diagnosis. But balancing an unexpected diagnosis and the effects of treatment — while also dealing with the stressors of young adulthood — can be overwhelming.
How a cancer diagnosis can feel for young adults
Often young people aren't diagnosed through screening. Usually they are diagnosed after having a vague concern about symptoms. They may also deal with the added layer of self-questioning: "Should I have gone to the doctor earlier?"
Relationship dynamics, sexual health, dating, financial implications and all the short- and long-term physical side effects are on your mind. These side effects can be more significant when you're diagnosed earlier in life.
Cancer's impact on your professional life
Many people in their late 20s, 30s and 40s are in school, maybe even newly enrolled. As nurse navigators, we try to help you stay in those programs while navigating your cancer diagnosis. Or, if in the workforce, young adults are also building their careers. It may be difficult to take time off for cancer treatment.
Cancer's impact on your personal life
You might have a young family, which brings concerns about how to raise your children and help your family cope with the news of your diagnosis. On the flip side, you may have concerns about having children or potential infertility due to cancer treatment.
How nurse navigators can help
We try to understand your needs and goals so we can best support your cancer journey. We help with education, resources, referrals and even scheduling.
Appointment scheduling
There's a term called "time toxicity" — a lot of healthcare happens between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. But if your work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. it can be challenging to fit in your cancer appointments.
We try to cluster your appointments to minimize your time away from work. Sometimes just setting up your schedule so you can get several things done on a day you already have off can make a big impact.
Connections through support groups and community
Support groups can be very helpful. In addition to connections, patients share coping strategies and practical information, not just emotional support. Many of our young patients attend support groups at Main Line Health for:
We will be starting a survivorship series specifically for young adults soon. We also try to find trustworthy community or online resources when we don't have something internally that fits your needs.
Insurance coverage and work benefits
It's important that you understand your rights and benefits as early as possible. Our social work team is a great resource to help you understand your work benefits whether you're a patient or caregiver. We have wonderful external partners with trusted resources and webinars on navigating disability or time away from work.
Referrals
Many younger patients have not had much interaction with the medical world, so it may all be new — and confusing. We connect as a holistic healthcare team to discuss your treatment plan, ways to mitigate side effects early and your goals and needs. We often make many referrals to:
- Genetic counselors for testing
- Oncology dietitians to help manage side effects
- Fertility specialists for your family planning
We also focus on the psychological impact, with referrals to social workers, support groups and individual counselors for patients and their families.
Communication through your whole treatment
At different intervals throughout treatment, we proactively touch base with you. We also ask about your loved ones and caregivers to see how we can support them too. Taking our cues from you, we try to help however we can.
I had a young person with cancer recently who was going through surgery. They had young children and lifting was an issue. It's important to talk about physical restrictions and what questions to ask your surgeon, such as what adaptations can be made at home. It's about helping you live and heal well.
Caring after treatment ends
We follow up after treatment and discuss:
- Watching out for cancer recurrence
- When your next follow-up is
- Any potential long- and late-term side effects
We're still here for you after active treatment ends. You can call us at any time with any questions or concerns — physical, financial, emotional or otherwise.
Always along for the ride
As nurse navigators, our goal is to support you from the time of your cancer diagnosis and connect with you throughout your treatment — whether you're getting chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery or radiation through post-treatment surveillance care. If you've been diagnosed with metastatic cancer that has spread, we're with you throughout that journey too.
There's no question too small. We don't have all the answers, but we're here to help ask the right person and support you as best we can with education, resources, referrals and connection with our team members.
Understanding cancer in young people
Main Line Health's clinicians and care team have additional insights on their approaches to diagnosing, treating and supporting young people with cancer.
Next steps
Learn more about cancer care at Main Line Health
Learn more about oncology nurse navigators
Learn more about cancer support groups and educational programs
Related posts
Navigating through breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship
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