Ask around and you'll learn that leukemia is generally thought of as a childhood disease. A lot of people don't realize that many more adults than children develop leukemia and other blood cancers. What may be even more surprising to learn is how many people diagnosed with leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are young adults.
Yes, there's a population of young adults out there who have lives that include (alongside getting an education, dating, making career choices, getting married, having babies) chemo and radiation therapy, stem cell transplants, bone marrow biopsies and hair loss. A.K.A. life on the road to surviving cancer.
National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week is raising awareness about the impact of cancer on young adults. Vital Options, a support and advocacy organization devoted to young adults with cancer, launched this annual event in April 2003. Since then, organizations like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) have partnered with Vital Options to keep spreading the word.
If you are a young adult with a blood cancer, we encourage you to take advantage of our many online resources including:
- LLS Blood Cancer Discussion Boards - Connect with your peers for valuable input and support.
- RSS News Feeds and Podcasts - Get news and audio on a daily basis in your RSS reader.
- National Education Programs - Register online for free telephone education programs where you'll have the opportunity to ask questions of our guest speakers. We also have an extensive archive of past programs in this area of our website.
- Free Materials - Our materials range from information on the different blood cancers, to ways that you can cope with a blood cancer diagnosis. They are free to download or order.
- eNewsletters - Subscribe to any or all of our monthly eNewsletters containing valuable news and updates.
- Search for Cutting-Edge Research - Make sure you're exploring all of your treatment options by taking advantage of this online resource.
- Information Resource Center - Chat online or email an information specialist who can put you in touch with even more information and support and help you find out about cutting-edge research.
Want to get involved? Learn about our different events and ways to volunteer through our How to Help section on www.LLS.org.
