Young people with cancer--how should their care be organized?

The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes and views of young people receiving treatment for cancer, along with the views of their parents, their healthy peers and those involved in treating them without a cancer centre. The study analysed qualitative data collected using focus groups and patient interviews. Fourteen patients aged between 15 and 20 years were interviewed at a major cancer centre in Yorkshire. A focus group of healthy adolescents was held at a location away from the hospital to gain the perspectives of healthy adolescents. No disadvantages of a more centralized model of care for adolescents were discovered. The particular feature felt to be important was the expertise of the staff rather than the physical environment. Some suboptimal care was identified in referring units, though this appeared to apply to that associated with the treatment of solid tumours rather than leukaemias. The case for a more centralized approach to the management of young people with cancer is confirmed, and supports the model already implemented in the care of children with cancer.