Brain Tumour Research is supporting a call for the new Government to prioritise the needs of young cancer patients and their families.
Alongside other leading UK charities, we have co-signed an open letter to the new Prime Minister asking him and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to prioritise the distinct and complex needs of the more than 4,000 children and young people under the age of 25 who are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK, and many more already living with cancer.
Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age brings with it unique physical and mental challenges. Children and young people often face delays before diagnosis, and treatments result in them missing out on education and social lives. Parents may have to quit their jobs and are faced with huge financial burdens and a lack of support.
The letter calls on for a dedicated plan for children and young people from the point of diagnosis, throughout treatment, to the years that follow. It raises the need for research to drive advances in treatment, for holistic, tailored care, and for financial barriers to accessing treatment and support to be removed. And it calls on the Government to work with charities to transform the landscape of care and support and improve experiences and outcomes for all children and young people with cancer.
To read and sign the open letter, visit www.action.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/open-letter-new-government
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