Dr. Eng on Increasing Awareness for Adolescents/Young Adults With CRC

Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO, professor of hematology/oncology, co-leader, Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the need to increase awareness regarding treating adolescents and young adults with colorectal cancer (CRC).

There is increased awareness regarding younger patients with CRC, though there is still a large unmet need with how to prepare this patient population for treatment, including preparing for psychosocial issues, financial hardship, job security concerns, and fertility preservation, explains Eng.

Typically, oncologists are treating elderly patients with CRC. Adolescents and young adults with CRC in hospitals are having treatment tailored toward the pediatric patient population, says Eng. Adolescents and young adults fall into a middle category and do not where to go, but hopefully awareness of this patient population will continue to increase, concludes Eng.