Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer make up a particular
group of patients whose clinical and psychological needs differ substantially from
those of pediatric patients or older adult patients. In recent years, the international
scientific community has recognized the particular problems faced by AYA patients.
There are several ways in which AYAs inhabit a middle ground between the worlds
of pediatric and adult oncology, and neither pediatric nor adult healthcare models
have proved capable of meeting their particular features which range from a unique
epidemiology (with both pediatric-type and adult-type tumors occurring within the
same age group) to a complex psychological sphere, from clinical challenges such
as difficulty accessing specialized care and treatment trials to the need for ageappropriate hospital environments with dedicated facilities and programs.
Faced with these challenges, the scientific community should adapt to the
needs of AYA patients with cancer by involving diverse health professionals from
different disciplines, patient advocates, and stakeholders, possibly engaging on an
international level. An excellent example of cooperation between adult and pediatric
oncology societies in Europe comes from the European Society for Medical Oncology
(ESMO) joining forces with the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE) to
establish a Working Group on AYAs.
Similarly, in April 2021 the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Associazione
Italiana di Oncologia Medica, AIOM) joined forces with the Italian Association
of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (Associazione Italiana di Oncologia ed
Ematologia Pediatrica, AIEOP) to set up a formal AIEOP-AIOM Working Group
dedicated to AYAs.
Several local, national, and international projects have developed
with the aim of improving chances of survival and quality of life.
In this 2-days congress, all the different aspects of AYAs with cancer will be discussed
by a panel of international experts that have significantly contributed to elucidating
the unique challenges for these patients. Enough time will be reserved for discussion,
exchanging opinions and thoughts in addition to the presentation of national and
international experiences. Thanks to Fondazione Menarini, we will be hosted in one
of the most beautiful venues in Milan: Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.
We hope you will enjoy the Course,
Andrea Ferrari
Fedro Peccatori