Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust

Our ‘WHY’ Every day around 12 young people under 25 are diagnosed with cancer. What happens after treatment can be as difficult as, if not even more so, than the treatment itself. This is not discussed or understood as much as it should be. Cancer can have a big impact on a young person’s mental well-being beyond treatment. When a young person gets the ‘all clear', there is an expectation of happiness and returning to ‘normal’. But what is their ‘normal’ now? Their whole world has changed. The future can feel daunting and overwhelming. Cancer in young people often leads to lower educational achievement, relationship and friendship difficulties, body image issues, and/or ongoing late effects, such as extreme fatigue, infertility, osteoporosis, thyroid problems, and hearing or vision loss. For many young people simply picking up where they left off before their diagnosis just isn’t possible. That is why when treatment ends our work begins. We must be here for every young person who needs us.