(P 08) HOW TO DEVELOP AN ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG PROGRAM IN AN ADULT CANCER CENTER: THE HUMANITAS RESEARCH HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

Objective: Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) represents a peculiar group of patients (pts) between 15-39 years of age with often unmet clinical and psycho-social needs.
Irrespective of being an adult Cancer Center, in the last 20 years, in Humanitas Research Hospital, over 400 cancer AYA pts /year has been treated. The worldwide growing awareness of unmet clinical and psychosocial needs of AYA pts, led our Institute to develop a dedicated program. Supported by a high-level expertise in rare cancers and a well-established multidisciplinary approach, we built a comprehensive AYA center to improve the whole management of this unique population.
Here we present the ongoing AYA project for oncologic pts in our Cancer Center.

Methods: Based on this specific experience, in 2018, a dedicated AYA Program was officially established within our Cancer Center, with the aim to bridge the gap between pediatrician and adult pts.
We consider AYA every patient with a diagnosis of cancer between 16-39 years.

Results: The AYA-dedicated program was developed according to three different fields of interest: a Medical Section, an Organizational Structure, and a Communicational Program, designed to work together to make the care access for AYA pts easier.
The Medical Section was designed to manage the unmet clinical needs of AYA pts. In addition to the cancer management within the different AYA-dedicated multidisciplinary teams, the program was planned to offer psychologic, genetic, fertility, cardiological, nutritional, endocrinological and physical support. As Specialized Cancer Center, we offered a wide range of clinical trials spanning all cancer types.
The Organizational Structure included AYA-dedicated single rooms for AYA pts and their caregivers, in order to limit the social isolation of AYA pts, and common spaces for specific events involving AYA population.
The Communicational Program, developed by the interaction between the press office of Humanitas Research Cancer and AYA pts, was planned to provide website campaigns and awareness/educational programs headed to AYA and their peers, caregivers and providers.

Conclusion: The AYA cancer program development is the real challenge that every Referral Cancer Center which plans to manage AYA pts needs to face. The development of an AYA program may allow to give an answer to the unique medical/psychosocial needs of AYA pts, bridging the well-known gap between children and adult oncology.