Teenage Cancer Trust responds to the announcement of the National Cancer Plan for England and return of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce

Teenage Cancer Trust welcomes both these announcements, but warns that if the Government’s ambition to tackle cancer is to be achieved, the specific needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, which differ from those of both children and older adults, must be addressed.  

Kate Collins, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We welcome the news that the government has launched a consultation to help it develop a National Cancer Plan for England. The plan has been a long time coming and it’s promising to see that the cancer community is being listened to. 

“We also welcome the restart of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce. Today’s developments have the potential to be an important landmark in improving the outcomes and experiences of young people with cancer.

“The government’s renewed drive to tackle cancer - which is the UK’s second biggest killer - is crucial to saving more lives. And to truly achieve this, the voices of teenagers and young people with cancer must be heard in this plan, by the taskforce, and in the actions that follow. Cancer kills more teenagers and young adults in the UK than any other disease, but it is still often not widely recognised that every day, seven young people aged 13-24 are being diagnosed with cancer. By 2030, it’s projected that number will be closer to 10. 

“We recognise the significance of launching the consultation and taskforce on World Cancer Day, which has the theme ‘United By Unique’, and this should act as a reminder that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults must not be overlooked. Teenagers and young adults face specific challenges in their cancer journeys different to those of young children and older adults – it is harder for them to get a diagnosis, cancer treatments can be less effective, accessing mental health support is a postcode lottery and it can be harder to access potentially life-saving clinical trials.” 

“To truly tackle cancer outcomes in England, there must be specific actions to drive change for teenagers and young adults with cancer. We know that young people with cancer face many inequalities when accessing healthcare and they have unique needs that have been overlooked for years. In order to save more lives and improve the quality of life for these young people who do survive, these issues need to be addressed as a priority. 

“The commitments made today are a vital and welcome first step. Delivery will transform young people with cancer’s chances of survival and quality of life. This is a key opportunity for the government and Teenage Cancer Trust to work together as expert partners, and for the government to act now to improve the outcomes and experiences of young people with cancer.”