“Young Cancer: You miss the whole man”
“Young adults fall between the cracks when they are hit by cancer.”
“health Care and the politicians need to recognise them as a specific target group, require the organization Ung Cancer.”
“the System must see the whole person,” says the secretary-general Emma Tonnes.”
“Around 800 people aged between 16-30 years will receive annually a cancer diagnosis in Sweden and in a recent report from the Young Cancer testifies to the organization’s members that there are large deficiencies in health care when young adults affected by cancer.”
“– When it comes to the treatment of cancer, Sweden has a very good medical care, but it is not what we’re talking about. It is to miss the whole person. In order to get reasonable conditions to be able to find back to life after cancer, you need to see the whole person in health care, ” says Emma Tonnes, the organisation’s secretary-general, TT.”
“Young adults have a higher mortality rate than both children and adults with the same diagnosis of cancer and mental ill-health in connection with the diagnosis is common. But the Young Cancer points out that there are gaps in terms of rehabilitation and offers for discussion support.”
“– It is a long one is expected to live after the treatment and even if rehabiliteringsplanen shall be included in the care plan we notice that this is not complied with in many of the people we meet, says Tonnes and continues:”
“– It is generally important for all affected by cancer to get professional emotional discussion support, but especially for this target group. It is the big questions of life will be terribly big at this age.”
“for Example, many patients make life-saving decisions around sex and fertility.”
“– In your 20s is a great risk that you must ask yourself questions like: do I want to have kids? Will I be able to have children? You miss, unfortunately, often to take the talking about fertility preservation measures that you have to freeze the eggs or sperm before cancer treatment. After the treatment, the chance to get their own children to be neglected, ” says Emma Tonnes.”
“TT: What is the way forward according to you?”
“– First and foremost, young adults are seen as a specific target group. In health care, it has begun to show itself, but also the politicians need to recognize this audience, ” says Emma Tonnes.”
“no sickness”
“the Organization is involved in a project that recently started at the Karolinska university hospital. The aim is to improve the care and lives of young adults and teenagers affected by cancer. With in the projects are also actors of social Insurance and the employment service.”
“– The different instances is not so good in sync with one another – we need to get together the health service, the employment service and Insurance. Our target audience ends up so often between the chairs. You must have worked for six months in order to receive sickness benefits and there are many who will not have had time to do it when they are hit. Many may instead try to survive on the support and it is not uncommon that cancer sufferers are forced to move home and be supported by the parents again. Some are even forced to work sick, which is not okay.”
“Young Cancer since the summer of 2017 paid out around two million in financial support to its members.”
“– And we notice that the applications for financial assistance continues to flow into and so it has now been in several years, ” says Emma Tonnes.”
