{WHAT IS CANCER?}
Cancer is the name for over 100 different diseases in which normal cells begin to change and grow uncontrollably. Cancer may form anywhere in the body, and can spread throughout the body.
{CANCER IN YOUNG ADULTS}
Although cancer is frequently thought of as a disease of the elderly or the very young, the reality is that more than 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. In fact, a cancer diagnosis between the ages of 15 and 40 is nearly eight times more common than such a diagnosis during the first 15 years of life.
For more information on young adults and cancer, go here.
{THE MOST COMMON YOUNG ADULT CANCERS}
The cancers most commonly diagnosed in young adults are:
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Germ cell tumors (ovarian and testicular cancers)
Melanoma
Sarcoma
Breast cancer
Cervical cancer
Liver cancer
Thyroid cancer
Colorectal cancer
For basic information on these diseases and disease-specific resources, click here.
{CANCER TREATMENTS}
A variety of methods are used to treat cancers, depending on the type of cancer and the size and location of the cancer. Often more than one treatment is used. The most common treatments are:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation
For more information on treatments and tips for dealing with side effects, go here.
{cancer in real life}
Health Insurance
Too old to be on their parents’ insurance, but too young to have the kind of job that offers substantial benefits, many young adults find themselves stranded at a time when they need insurance most. These resources offer advice and information on the new health care laws, navigating your current health insurance, managing co-pays, and more.
School
Going back to school after a cancer diagnosis can be immensely challenging financially, emotionally, and physically. A word of personal advice from one of the Ulman Fund’s interns: try to give yourself more than two weeks between chemotherapy and a full courseload. These sites offer advice, emotional support, and scholarships for cancer survivors.
Work
Working during cancer treatment is an impossibility for some, a necessity for others, and a tricky situation no matter what the circumstnce. These sites offer advice and tools for working during treatment, returning to work after treatment, and applying for jobs with the big C on your resume.