The Young Onset Cancer Symposium was opened by Dr Emily Harrold, GI Medical Oncologist and Co‑Director of the Young Onset Cancer Programme, together with Professor Maeve Lowery, GI Medical Oncologist and Co‑Director of the Programme. In their opening remarks, they highlighted Young Onset Cancer as a rapidly emerging clinical and research priority, drawing attention to the rising incidence across multiple cancer types and the growing recognition that younger patients face distinct biological, clinical, and psychosocial challenges.

They outlined the establishment of the Young Onset Cancer Centre at TSJCI (The Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute) as a direct response to these emerging trends, highlighting its role in providing dedicated,age‑appropriate care, advancing focused research, and integrating survivorship and comprehensive supportive services for younger adults. Their introduction set the scene for a session aimed at deepening understanding of the drivers of early‑onset disease, strengthening approaches to early detection, and informing the development of more tailored models of care for this patient population.

Dr José Perea, Colorectal Surgeon based in Madrid, provided a comprehensive overview of the rising global burden of early-onset cancers, situating this trend within a broader epidemiological and biological context. He highlighted that those increases are being observed across early-onset gastrointestinal malignancies, alongside related cancer subtypes. From a research perspective, he stressed the need for integrated, multidisciplinary approaches that combine population‑level epidemiology with molecular, genomic, and clinical data. Dr Perea also addressed the implications for screening, prevention, and healthcare systems, noting that many current screening programmes and clinical pathways are designed around older populations and may not adequately capture risk in younger adults.

Zorana Maravic, CEO of Digestive Cancers Europe, emphasised the central role of patient voice, lived experience, and advocacy in shaping the early‑onset cancer agenda. She highlighted how a cancer diagnosis at a younger age can have profound consequences at a critical stage of life, affecting not only health but also work, career progression, family life, and parenting responsibilities.

Her presentation drew attention to quality‑of‑life issues that may disproportionately impact younger patients, including sexual dysfunction, changes in body image, financial strain, disruption to education and career plans, emotional distress, and challenges to social and family functioning. Zorana stressed that psychological and supportive care must be tailored and age-appropriate, with specific consideration given to areas such as sexual health and function, fertility‑related concerns, and access to peer‑to‑peer support with others who share similar life circumstances.

A central message of her talk was that meaningful patient involvement is essential across research, service design, and policy development. She outlined how amplifying patient perspectives helps uncover gaps in care, challenge prevailing assumptions about cancer in younger adults, and ensure that patient-prioritised outcomes are reflected in research and healthcare planning.

Zorana also underscored the importance of advocacy in raising awareness of early‑onset cancer among clinicians, policymakers, and the wider public, noting that patient stories can be powerful catalysts for change. She concluded by reinforcing the need for sustained collaboration between patients, clinicians, researchers, and advocacy organisations, positioning patient voice as a cornerstone of progress in early‑onset cancer care and research.

Author:

Nicola Keohane