Coping with Cancer as a Teener
In the US, approximately 600 teens between ages 15 and 19 are diagnosed with cancer. The most common cancers in teens are Hodgkin’s disease, germ cell tumors, central-nervous system tumors, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thyroid cancer, malignant melanoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was shown that teeners and young adults that participate in pediatric clinical trials have better survival rates than those treated at adult centers.
For teen-agers, facing cancer is more challenging because they are aware of the fact that the disease may lead to death. Teeners become more depressed and lonely, plus the fact that teeners experience psychological challenges such as identity crisis, peer pressure, intimacy and fertility.
(source)
Cancer support groups orgs for teens:
Teenage Cancer Trust
Group Loop
Teens Living with Cancer
Planet Cancer