About This Program
UT Health Austin’s Young Adult Cancer Program is a specialty program within the Livestrong Cancer Institutes that provides access to cutting-edge cancer treatment and comprehensive supportive services for young adults (18-39 years of age) who are diagnosed with breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and hematologic malignancies as well as those patients (13-39 years of age) with any known or suspected gynecologic cancers. We address your specific needs related to your cancer diagnosis and treatment, including concerns about building and caring for a family, identity, education, career development, finances, and more. Additionally, because a cancer diagnosis can cause distress at any age, social, emotional, and mental health support is also available. Our goal is to help address the needs of your mind, body, and spirit throughout your cancer experience.
The Young Adult Cancer Program was co-designed with the help of young adult cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones who serve on our Young Adult Advisory Board. Our young adult advisors work directly with our clinical providers and staff to recognize gaps in support for young adults with cancer and to rethink cancer care. We focus on what matters most to young adults navigating a cancer diagnosis and our services are delivered in coordination with the patient’s entire care team to ensure the patient’s treatment plan addresses the full spectrum of the patient’s needs and preferences.
The Young Adult Cancer Program is the only young adult oncology program in Central Texas.
Treatment Approach
We understand that young adults with a cancer diagnosis typically do not fit into the traditional pediatric or adult cancer care models. Because of your unique needs, the Young Adult Cancer Program care team spends time listening to you and your loved ones to better understand your goals and connect you with the appropriate resources, which may include helping you address social isolation or emotional distress, understanding how treatment may impact fertility, or guidance on how to talk about a cancer diagnosis with colleagues, supervisors, peers, and loved ones.
At UT Health Austin, we take a multidisciplinary approach to your care. This means you will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines caring for you in one place to avoid having to schedule multiple appointments with providers at locations all over the city. The Young Adult Cancer Program care team includes medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, fertility preservation specialists, onco-psychiatrists, genetic counselors, dietitians, social workers, and more as well as other members of the CaLM Care Team who work together to help you achieve the goals that matter most to you.
We also collaborate with our colleagues at the Dell Medical School and The University of Texas at Austin to utilize the latest research and treatment techniques, allowing us to connect you with world-class, personalized cancer treatment. We call our approach to cancer care CaLM (Cancer Life reiMagined), and your treatment begins with a comprehensive, whole-person assessment that your care team will use to develop a personalized care plan specific to your treatment, your goals, and your needs. Advanced imaging and lab testing are also available on-site if needed.
Appointment Information
At UT Health Austin, we focus on you, the whole patient, making sure that you have the support you need throughout your care. The Young Adult Cancer Program care team will identify any existing records of treatment in the UT Health Austin System and communicate with your referring provider to obtain needed medical records and other information. If you have received medical treatment from a provider other than your referring provider, your care team will contact you to receive a written Authorization to Receive Medical Records from your other provider(s).
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