Commentary to “Policy and practice in teenage and young adult cancer care in England: Looking to the future”

Abstract

Pearce, 2009 Pearce S. Policy and practice in teenage and young adult cancer care in England: looking to the future. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2009; 13: 149-153 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (22) Google Scholar considers developments in cancer services for teenagers and young adults (TYA) in England within the context of health services policy, most particularly the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Improving Outcomes Guidance for Children and Young People ( NICE, 2005 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Improving Outcomes in Children and Young People with Cancer: the Guidance. NICE, London2005 Google Scholar ). In providing an overview of important aspects of epidemiology of cancer in this patient group and the evidence base and published expert opinion related to some of the key components of services and clinical practice, many of the areas of need, progress and the challenges ahead are highlighted. Policy and practice in teenage and young adult cancer care in England: Looking to the futureEuropean Journal of Oncology NursingVol. 13Issue 3PreviewThis paper outlines the current policy and service developments for the provision of cancer care for teenagers, young adults and their families in England. Key implications in terms of the settings and place of care, the centrality of the multidisciplinary team, the improvement of outcomes in TYA cancer care together with psychosocial issues are examined in more depth alongside the existing evidence base. In terms of the development of high quality, accessible specialist TYA cancer care and the development of a rigorous evidence base for the practice of TYA cancer care the next few years are crucial. Full-Text PDF