Dr. Hayes-Lattin develops training blueprint for treating adolescent, young adult cancer patients

Health care providers that classify cancer patients as children or adults often neglect the particular medical needs of adolescents and young adults, which can have serious consequences. It forces these patients to straddle two arenas of health care that aren’t equipped to deal with their unique tumor biology or the psychological, social and cultural forces that influence the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in this population, asserts Brandon Hayes-Lattin, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, who established the pioneering Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program at Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute.  

Dr. Hayes-Lattin — who battled cancer as a young adult — is laying the groundwork for reorganizing cancer treatment programs nationwide to better meet these patients’ needs. As part of that effort, he recently led a team of experts who developed training recommendations for health care professionals, which are outlined in a paper published in the Nov. 10 print edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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