Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month April 2026
This Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month we’re launching our new campaign Cancer Conversations which highlights some of the communication challenges faced by 13-24 year olds with cancer, their friends, loved ones and the professionals caring for them – from diagnosis, through treatment and into recovery.
Throughout April we’ll be sharing stories from young people focusing on the challenging conversations around cancer they had to face – as well as their tips on how to improve communication.
Teenage Cancer Trust is teaming up with 15 other charities supporting young people with cancer across the UK for the third Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month this April.
We’re proud to be working together to shine a spotlight on the distinct needs and experiences of young people with cancer, which are so often overlooked.
We’ll be sharing stories and content on the topic of Cancer Conversations week by week throughout the month.
One conversation can change everything
Dr Louise Soanes, Chief Nurse at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The way in which we talk about and explain cancer is so important, but it’s a difficult subject and can be incredibly challenging.
“However, one conversation can change everything for a young person. The right words at the right time can make all the difference - and we must all do our best to get it right.
“Our expert nurses and youth workers across the UK support young people with cancer through all kinds of conversations. And whether you’re a health professional, a friend, or loved one of a young person who struggles to find the right words, or you don’t know what to say, you can find help and guidance about cancer conversations on the Teenage Cancer Trust website.”
We need to talk. Young people deserve better conversations about cancer.
Imagine you’re a teenager or young adult whose life has been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis. Suddenly, you and your loved ones are thrust into a strange new world of hospital appointments, scans and treatment. You’re probably feeling really scared and struggling to process what’s happening to you.
It’s not just the treatment that helps you through cancer – it’s also the people around you and the things they say. The right words at the right moment can make all the difference. But finding those words isn’t always easy.
Our Cancer Conversations campaign highlights some of the communication challenges faced by 13-24 year olds with cancer, their friends, loved ones and the professionals caring for them – from diagnosis, through treatment and into recovery.
We’re sharing stories to raise awareness of these barriers so that young people and everyone around them can feel more confident navigating difficult situations – especially when making important decisions or giving or receiving upsetting news.
Stigma surrounding cancer can make communication feel daunting. Honesty, sensitivity and understanding can be healing in their own right – while poor communication, or lack of it, can leave a young person feeling isolated, frightened or confused.
And it’s not just friends and family who can struggle to find the right words – health professionals sometimes do, too. Young people repeatedly pay tribute to the amazing work of their care teams, but there are still times when communication doesn’t meet their needs.
Examples include health professionals talking to you as if you’re much younger or older than you really are, using unclear language or medical jargon, or simply not recognising how overwhelming cancer can feel when you’re young.
With 35 years of expertise, Teenage Cancer Trust provides a range of information resources to support clear, sensitive and age-appropriate communication between young people with cancer and the people around them.
Created together with young people and our specialist nurses and youth workers, our online information hub includes a glossary of medical terms, advice for family and friends, and guidance covering everything from ‘How to speak to your GP’ to navigating life after treatment.
Health professionals can check out our free webinars series, which is packed with expert guidance and advice, while later this year the third edition of our Blueprint of Care, a practical guide for those working in teenage and young adult cancer services, will include a chapter dedicated to communication.
Together we can make sure young people – and everyone involved in looking after them – have better conversations about cancer.
Check out our online information hub for guidance and advice to support better communication between young people with cancer and the people around them.