Welcome to Hematology /Oncology's Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) website. This page was created for AYA patients, their families and friends with the help of our AYA patients. We hope you find it useful!

What is AYA?

Here at Children's Mercy we define an AYA patient as any patient age 13 and older. In the department of Hematology/Oncology we treat patients that are diagnosed with cancer or blood disorder up to age 21. After age 21 we work with adult Hematology/Oncology providers to ensure that our patients continue to have the care that they need. Adolescence and Young Adulthood is a time of transition, regardless of an individual's medical need and at CMH we strive to provide patients in this age group with comprehensive support.

To meet the unique needs of our AYA patients we developed a program specifically for AYA patients. Part of the program is a multi-disciplinary team of providers including social workers, child life specialists, nutritionists, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and research coordinators. However, the most important members of this team are the patient and their families. We are constantly seeking feedback and striving to improve the quality of care provided to this diverse population.

Another reason that the AYA program was developed is because we know that patients with certain types of cancer in this age group do better when treated at a pediatric center. For example patients in the AYA age group with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, the most common blood cancer in children) treated on pediatric treatment protocols have better outcomes than those treated on adult protocols. We also work with adult providers to help guide the therapy of AYA patients with more "adult" tumors. This allows us to design the best treatment plan for each patient.

We encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments regarding our AYA program.