Young Cancer Patients: Experiences and Outcomes

Opened the debate

The MP highlighted the growing incidence of cancer among young people in the UK, with rates rising by a quarter since the early 1990s. He emphasised the need for age-appropriate care and support for teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer. Steve Yemm pointed out that only around half of young people benefit from specialist support through Teenage Cancer Trust units despite the significant improvement in their experiences and outcomes when such support is available. He also stressed the importance of early diagnosis, psychological support, access to clinical trials, and better data collection to understand inequalities and improve cancer care for this age group.

Government Response

The Minister acknowledged the importance of the debate, highlighting the work done by Teenage Cancer Trust and other charities in writing the national cancer plan. She committed to investing up to £10 million annually to support families with travel costs for treatment. The Government is focused on providing age-appropriate psychological support from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, aiming for two years post-treatment as requested by Steve Yemm. They are also working on diagnosing cancer in young people faster and removing barriers to timely diagnosis by embedding young people’s needs into the design of neighbourhood health services. Additionally, she announced plans to establish one-stop health shops across the UK to offer better access to specialist support. The Department is making research into improving outcomes for children a national priority, with efforts focused on kinder treatments. A reformed national cancer board will be established with a dedicated lead for children and young people’s cancer to ensure clear accountability and focus. The Minister also highlighted other initiatives such as abolishing the two-child benefit cap, introducing free breakfast clubs, extending free school meals, and implementing the soft drinks industry levy to combat drivers of ill health in children's lives.