Navigating Disruption: Differences in Care Priorities for Younger vs Older Adults

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Shane Dormady, MD, PhD, medical director of El Camino Health Cancer Center, highlights the unique challenges and differences in the priorities of care for younger adults compared with older adults diagnosed with cancer.

The care for young adults requires a distinct approach that prioritizes emotional and overall well-being. Unlike older patients, younger adults are typically focused on aspects of their daily lives, such as their education, career, and family, rather than end-of-life affairs and mortality. A sudden cancer diagnosis may cause a major disruption to their daily lives, often bringing about initial feelings of shock, fear, and anxiety about the uncertainty of the future.

Consequently, a distinguishing feature of young adults’ care is the critical need to instill and maintain hope throughout treatment. By helping patients stay focused on meaningful personal motivators, such as their children, future aspirations, or professional goals, providers can reinforce the patient’s reasons for undergoing treatment. Working with specialized providers, such as an oncology-certified psychologist, also becomes imperative to help patients process the complex emotions that come with a diagnosis, navigate disruption to their lives and re-establish continuity, and develop effective coping mechanisms to maintain a positive outlook throughout their treatment journey.

Additionally, Dormady emphasizes the value of a holistic approach to care, recognizing the connection between the patient’s mind, body, and emotions. Due to life disruption, younger patients are particularly susceptible to becoming despondent and discouraged, which can affect treatment adherence and quality of life. Therefore, helping patients stay mentally and emotionally aligned with their physical treatment goals is essential to full engagement in the treatment process for optimal outcomes.

Read the full interview here.