Teenagers and young adults affected by cancer

Whether you're a young person with cancer, or you're looking after someone else with cancer, find the help and support you need.

This page has information for: 

  1. Young people with cancer
  2. Young carers

1. Information for young people with cancer

If you are a teenager or a younger adult and have cancer, it can be difficult to find information and support that is right for you. A lot of the things you are facing might be the same as an older person with cancer.

But other things might be different, such as the:

  • type of cancer
  • treatment you need
  • people involved in your care
  • things you need to think about or plan for
  • effects of cancer treatment on your longer-term health and wellbeing
  • follow-up care..

Our cancer information is written for everyone and Macmillan is here to support you.

Explore our cancer information


There are also organisations that provide cancer information and support for specific ages and stages of life. We have listed some of them below.

Organisations supporting young people with cancer

CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association logoCCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association logo
CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association
The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association bring together professionals to improve cancer care for children and young people. They also provide cancer information.
Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT)
Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) is a charity providing specialised nursing care and youth support for young people with cancer. They support anyone aged 13 to 24 diagnosed with cancer.
Trekstock
Trekstock provides exercise and mental wellbeing support, designed for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s living with and beyond cancer.   
Young Lives vs Cancer
Young Lives vs Cancer provides clinical, practical and emotional support for children, teenagers and young people with cancer. Visit their website to find out more including Live Chat, phone or email support for anyone under the age of 25.

Stories from young people affected by cancer

Amrik, a young person diagnosed with cancer, sits on the kitchen counter in his home

Amrik's story

"I’d just turned 18. All of a sudden I was being rushed from hospital room to hospital room. I had quite a lot of anger. And I was in disbelief as well. My parents being around every day was important. The best thing was when my friend surprised me by coming back from uni for a visit. He didn’t have to say much; it was just him talking about normal stuff that kept me going."

A young man of Asian heritage is sitting at home at a desk in front of a laptop. He's holding a camera. There are plants and ornaments in the background.

LJ's story

LJ was 19 when he put his university plans on hold to undergo aggressive chemotherapy treatment for leukaemia. Hearing the words “we don’t have good news…you have leukaemia’, LJ initially didn't understand. 

"My reaction was simply, ‘what?’ I had no idea what leukaemia was. I had to ask what it was and he explained that I had cancer." 

“I remember when I was trying to find out more about the stem cell transplant, the Macmillan leaflets and website were really helpful. I was learning information about what I’d experience after the transplant.” 

LJ feels that many men may experience feelings of denial around their health and wants to use his creativity and platform to change this. He says: “I’m working myself into a purposeful place, where I know I can have conversations, talk to young men, talk cancer and help them look at their life in a different way.” 

Read more of LJ's story. 

 

More young people and cancer stories

How we can help

If you would like to talk to us, you can:

Icon Telephone

Call us

We're here to talk about whatever matters to you. Whether you need a listening ear to talk about what you're going through, or if you want to ask questions or get more information. Whatever you want to talk about, you can call us for free on 0808 808 00 00. The line is open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

Chat online

If you're over 18, you can talk to us using our live chat service. Click on the 'Chat to us' icon at the bottom right of your screen to open a new conversation.

Join an Online Community forum

Visit our Diagnosed at a Young Age forum to connect with people going through the same things, share your experience, and ask questions. Our Online Community is for anyone aged 18 and over who is affected by cancer. You can access it any time of day or night.

2. Information for young carers

If you are under the age of 18 and spend time looking after someone who is ill, you are a young carer. Being a young carer can affect your emotional and physical well-being. You may worry how it is affecting your school, college or university work, employment, free time and relationships.
Often a young carer may not even realise that they are a carer, so they may not know what support is available to them.
We have more information about:

Support for carers

We have information to help you with the practical, emotional and financial impacts of supporting someone with cancer. 

Supporting someone

Your rights and choices

Find out about legal guidelines and the rights you have as a young carer looking after someone with cancer as well as ways to manage other different practical issues.

Practical support for carers

Your feelings

It's normal to have many different emotions when someone close to you is diagnosed with cancer. Being a young carer can affect your relationships with family members, friends and partners. Get information to help you cope and get the support you need.

Emotional support for carers

Looking after your own health

It is important to look after your own health when you are caring for someone else. Taking time to focus on your own health and wellbeing can also benefit the person you are looking after.

How to look after yourself as a carer for someone with cancer

Your finances

Caring for someone with cancer may affect your financial situation. Find out more about getting support and advice.

Financial support for carers

Work, school and college

If you're in school or at college, there's help and support to make sure you don't have to go through everything alone. The NHS has more information about help for young carers

Or you may be in further education or looking to apply to university or college. You can find out more about this from The Children's Society

If you are working while caring for someone with cancer, we have information about your rights and how to talk to your employer - Working while caring for someone

Amy's story

"My life changed so suddenly. My dad had been the one who’d cared for me, bought my clothes for school, did the washing and cooked my dinner. No-one else offered to step up and care for him, so it was up to me.

I've always thought that carers aren't recognised for just how much we really do. It is undeniably a 24-hour job, and the pressure is very real, especially if you're caring for someone close to you. Carers need care too."

Getting support as a young carer

If you would like to talk, get in touch. We offer practical, emotional and financial help for anyone affected by cancer, including young people and carers.

A Macmillan Support Line advisor. The man with blonde hair is smiling and wearing a headset and a patterned top.

Call the support line

You can call the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm. We can answer your questions about cancer, or just be there to listen if you feel like talking to someone.

A woman looking at her mobile phone

Chat to us online

If you're over 18, you can also use our online chat service.

A mobile phone showing a health schedule app.

Talk to others on the Online Community

If you're over 18, you can connect with other carers on the Carers Only forum on the Online Community. It's a safe space to talk about your feelings or simply read about the experiences of other adult carers from all backgrounds and ages.

"I used the community to vent my worries to others who’d been in my situation. People were so kind on there" - Sarah 

Other useful links