🌍 As Global #AYACSM (Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Societal Movement) Week comes to an end, it is important to highlight now more than ever that:
👉 Abortion is an AYA issue.
👉 IVF is an AYA issue.
👉 Housing is an AYA issue.
👉 Inflation is an AYA issue.
👉 Social justice is an AYA issue.
Oh, tell us more! #AYACSM
Thank you Emily! Nice to see you @scottcapozza.bsky.social
#AYACSM
A4. That AYAs are not pediatric patients, and not older adults. The impact on our social, physical and financial development is significantly impacted by a cancer diagnosis. And we have to manage the physical and emotional toll of treatment for the the balance of our (hopefully long) lives #ayacsm
I love global work! #AYACSM 🌎
Mark your calendars! Please tune in Tuesday, May 5th @ 8PM ET for our next #AYACSM
Thank you to everyone who joined in on the conversation. Your time, posts, and comments are appreciated and important!
We are looking for guest moderators for 2026 – please let me know if you are interested! #AYACSM
That cancer and its treatment change life forever, that late and long term effects can be brutal, and be decades long. We need to do more people post primary treatment, much more. Our US healthcare systems fail those who survive especially when diagnosed as a younger adult. #AYACSM
We also need to see how we can leverage what we have in North America + other high-income countries to share with LMICs - recognizing that there are many around the world who could benefit from the sharing of resources, research protocols, etc. #AYACSM
A3. As stated a moment ago, there are lots of great orgs in the AYA space and each has found a niche within a niche population. We appreciate them all.
Now, there needs to be a pooling of resources and energy from these orgs to collectively raise their voices/strive for change #ayacam
Agree!! #AYACSM
Excellent point! And, also early detection of secondary cancers
#AYACSM
Q4: This Global #AYACSM Awareness Week - What do you wish people knew about #AYACancer? #AYACSM
Great idea & name! #AYACSM
Agreed. Lots of great orgs out there; need them tk come together to become the AYA Avengers #ayacsm
True and coupling this with the need for more prevention efforts!! #AYACSM
The AYA population is growing, which means there will be an increased demand for their healthcare needs as we/they (hopefully) have decades of life ahead of us, which will result in an increased strain on healthcare resources; recognize the issues early on, save $$ later #ayacsm
Q3: Do you see the #AYACancer movement as more united or more divided in our current sociocultural and historical times? #AYACSM
I think we also need to re-build community and I don't say that to discount the sustained efforts of our peers in community orgs - I mean as a whole, our society is facing disconnect and there's a need to keep bringing people together both for change and for peer connection #AYACSM
This is a great idea. Nurses and APPs are the ones who truly can connect with AYAs.
#ayacsm
A2: thinking out loud - can we advance care with #APP led programs for #AYA individuals such as MDT group programs and offer them virtually and hours that are more flexible as well as in the community. #AYACSM
One of the biggest stories of a Canadian hero is Terry Fox. Yet, we still see that AYAs are discounted by some change makers because they do not represent a large oncology population. How can we be effective in our advocacy efforts to garner more funds, etc.? #AYACSM
A2. Get in front of the change makers — government officials, hospital leadership — because they are the ones that control the dollars/currency to make appreciable change #AYACSM
Agree and that's for those who know to advocate - I worry as well about how many people there are who do not realize that there are things to advocate for! #AYACSM
Yes, and it’s exhausting not just for those of us in the field advocating for AYAs…it’s also exhausting for AYAs to have to keep advocating for themselves #AYACSM
Q2: What can the #AYACancer movement be doing now to make things better for young people? #AYACSM
While it can feel that we are making strides (more countries hosting #AYACancer awareness weeks, 👆 research), it is times like this when it feels like after two decades we still have to do the same advocacy efforts we were doing back in the 00s. #AYACSM
I was on the @teencanceramerica.bsky.social presentation today, and per their survey results: 62% of AYAs reported getting NO age appropriate resources. That’s a failure of the healthcare system, especially high up to make sure providers are trained to ask the ?s and refer as appropriate #ayacsm
Agree - we need to make sure that our current healthcare providers and the next generation, are well-prepared to care for these young people #AYACSM
