Young Cancer Survivors to Receive Improved Support After Illness
A grant of just over 2 million DKK will allow researchers to trial new rehabilitation initiatives for young cancer survivors aged 18-39.
Young Adults Taking ACtion (YATAC) is an age-specific rehabilitation initiative for young adult cancer survivors aged 18-39, developed in close collaboration with young adults and addressing key areas such as everyday life, physical activity, psychological challenges, sexuality, education, and work.
The project is led by, among others, Maria Aagesen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark along with Professor Karen la Cour, also from University of Southern Denmark and Associate Professor Marc Sampedro Pilegaard from the Central Denmark Region.
YATAC is a cross-disciplinary, group-based programme delivered by municipal professionals, including nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers.
Young Adults Supporting Each Other
-The foundation of YATAC is peer-to-peer support, where young adults share experiences and help each other find solutions to various everyday challenges, says Maria Aagesen.
Sessions might include physical activity or discussions on how young adults can return to work or education.
She is one of the researchers involved in trialling and evaluating the programme at the Centre for Cancer and Health Copenhagen in the Municipality of Copenhagen and Public Health Aarhus in the Municipality of Aarhus. A total of 80 young adult cancer survivors will have the opportunity to participate in the project.
-Currently, only a few municipalities offer rehabilitation programmes tailored to young adult cancer survivors, which is a shame, as the demand is high, she continues.
Many Choose to Forego Support
While standard rehabilitation is available for all cancer survivors, the researchers behind this project highlight the need for an age-specific programme for young adults.
-The consequence is that young adults often opt out of rehabilitation. This is problematic, as research shows they experience complex long-term effects, such as challenges in work and education, family life, and social activities – issues documented even several years after cancer treatment has ended, explains Marc Sampedro Pilegaard, senior researcher and Associate Professor at DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region.
-Young adults aged 18-39 experience numerous transitions in life related to education, work, and family, which places them in a particularly high-risk group for setbacks in their development. This grant is therefore vital, as it allows us to gain more knowledge and trial the initiative in practice. Ultimately, this could help us transform rehabilitation practices for young adult cancer survivors and improve their quality of life.
Meet the Researcher
Maria Aagesen is an Assistant Professor at the User Perspectives and Community-based Interventions unit within the Department of Public Health, where she has written her PhD thesis on rehabilitation for young cancer survivors.
About the Project
The project is led by Maria Aagesen, Physiotherapist and Assistant Professor, Karen la Cour, Occupational Therapist and Professor, and Marc Sampedro Pilegaard, Occupational Therapist and Associate Professor, who will serve as the Principal Investigator.
The project is a collaborative research effort involving the Research Unit for User Perspectives and Community-Based Interventions, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DEFACTUM, and the Department of Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Regional Hospital Gødstrup, Central Denmark Region.
The project is funded by the Danish Cancer Society, Research Fund of Central Denmark Region, and Aase and Ejnar Danielsen’s Foundation. The project received special attention during the Knæk Cancer fundraising event, where the researchers presented their plans to support young cancer survivors.
For further information, contact:
- Maria Aagesen, University of Southern Denmark, +45 29723294 or maagesen@health.sdu.dk
- Marc Sampedro Pilegaard, Region Midtjylland and Aarhus University, +45 4043 9031 or masamp@rm.dk.