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Bringing Hope to Teen Cancer Survivors

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#ChildhoodCancerAwareness

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CANSA recognises that teen cancer Survivors (patients) face unique challenges when dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, which differ from the challenges faced by children or adults. But who will cater for these unique needs?

Did You Know?

CANSA Steps Up

Teen Cancer Patient Room

CANSA has stepped up to the challenge and launched one of the first few teen cancer patient rooms in South Africa at Tygerberg Hospital, as part of its CANSA Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) support service to children, which can accommodate teens older than 14 years and their parents or a caregiver, so that teens needn’t move from paediatric oncology (Ward G3), into the adult X-Block Ward, while receiving treatment. The launch took place on 14 February 2020, just ahead of International Childhood Cancer Day (15 February) and Breyten Paulse attended and facilitated the launch.

Operational Manager of Ward G3 at Tygerberg Hospital, Sister Eleanor De Beer says, “This is such a needed service for our many teenagers we serve here. We’re grateful and excited that we can offer them a warm and welcoming place to stay while they are on their treatment journey. Our parents appreciate the opportunity to still be with their children, even though they are teenagers, this is not possible in the adult wards.”

CANSA is grateful to Professor Mariana Kruger (Head of Paediatric Oncology at Tygerberg Hospital) and Dr Fatima Bassa (Divisional Head of Clinical Haematology at X-Block) who were instrumental in paving the way for CANSA TLC to extend its services to young patients at X-Block.

CANSA TLC has been active in Ward G3, Tygerberg Hospital, since June 2016 as the current preferred service delivery provider offering a support group and craft activities in partnership with Sisanda Foundation. CANSA further introduced monthly food parcels to needy families and outreach activities and outings with oncology children as well as including their siblings and parents. The teen cancer patient room has enabled CANSA TLC to extend these services to adolescent cancer patients.

Research to Support Teens

CANSA’s research department is also currently planning a study with adolescents (aged 10-19 years) living with cancer in South Africa regarding their health services, psychosocial and informational needs, so that they may be supported more effectively.

Clinicians across the country from paediatric oncology units and some adult oncology units treating older adolescents, will be participating in the study. It will involve a quantitative survey on psychosocial health outcomes, health services and information needs and a qualitative component involving focus group discussions with the adolescents using a visual or creative methodology.

Dr Melissa Wallace, Head of CANSA Research, explains, “It’s so important to study the particular needs of adolescents living with cancer and how these can be addressed. It’s anticipated that study outcomes will help to provide an evidence base that informs the work of support organisations (NGOs) and may help to inform clinical support service provision. It may also provide indicators that support advocacy for programme and policy change to better orientate health services to these needs. We plan to use this information to inform the development of an intervention to address adolescents’ information and psychosocial support needs through CANSA TLC, which can be delivered by our staff (and others) in treatment units and community-based programmes.”

CANSA TLC is giving hope to teen cancer patients and children affected by the disease. Won’t you consider making an online donation to help support the work being done, and touch young lives.

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