Children and adolescents with cancer have unique needs

Young children and adolescents with cancer have physical and emotional needs that differ from those of adults with cancer. Even the types of cancer young people get tend to differ based on their stage of life. Childhood cancer is often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Most adult cancers, in contrast, are linked to lifestyle-related risk factors or other environmental risk factors that lead to DNA damage over time. As children age, they are exposed to more environmental factors that can cause cancer. Cancers in adolescents – those between the ages of 15 and 19 – are a mix of the types of cancer that develop in children and adults. Read more here.