Both the UK’s Princess Beatrice and rock royalty Roger Daltrey have signed the International Charter of Rights for Young People with Cancer. Have you? Developed collaboratively by LIVESTRONG® and SeventyK in the USA, Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK, CanTeen Australia and CanTeen New Zealand, the charter is a global initiative recognizing that teenagers and young adults have specific needs that differentiate them from children’s and adult medicine.
With the goal of having these differences acknowledged by the medical world, the International Charter of Rights for Young People with Cancer identifies ten key rights for young adults. It recognizes medical, developmental, social and economic rights, including the right to be taken seriously when seeking medical attention, access to treatment and clinical trials that have been tested with the appropriate age group, fertility preservation and access to treatment and services in age-appropriate facilities.
Colleen, a LIVESTRONG staff member in her early 30s, signed the charter after experiencing first-hand how difficult it is for young adults to receive the appropriate care. After a doctor put her on anxiety medication and told her she was being a hypochondriac when she returned twice for unexplained bleeding and cramping, she took matters into her own hands and ordered an ultrasound for herself at another doctor. The ultrasound, which insurance wouldn’t cover since it was not ordered by a doctor, revealed that she had stage 2 ovarian cancer. Because her diagnosis was delayed, her medical team had to act quickly and did not have time to discuss fertility options.
Colleen’s experience is not unusual. Teenage Cancer Trust studies show that young people in the UK revisit their doctor an average of five times before symptoms are recognized or taken seriously. Globally, young adults also miss out on vital clinical trials because of research systems arranged by age, leaving them forgotten in the middle of pediatrics and geriatrics and lagging behind in survival rates. The charter is an exciting global collaboration that will hopefully change this disturbing reality.
Visit www.cancercharter.org to add your name and show your support; then send the link to your family, friends and constituents and ask them to lend their support too.
Comments
What a wonderful cause! I will certainly sign my name to show my support. The 13-year-old niece of a man who runs the Saturn service desk where I get my car worked on is currently going through both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Her father wrongly thought she was pregnant because her stomach was getting big. She is currently going through chemo treatments.
The International Charter of Rights for Young People with Cancer is such an important thing.
Now What is a website that has been specifically designed for young people who have cancer, have a family member with cancer, or family member who has died from cancer. It provides information and support through stories, blogs and forums. If you are a young person who needs support, check it out here: www.nowwhat.org.au
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