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Cancer does not affect only the elderly. Every year, 15,000 young adults suffer. For them, there are other problems compared to older patients. For example: can they still have children?
Lauterbach (dpa) – Mara is 21 when the world collapses for her. She just wants to start life, with the study in Hamburg she is on the straight line. Then shock: Diagnosis of lymphoma cancer
"I already noticed: Something is wrong with me, I was still boring, then a tumor developed around the neck" Mara recently told a meeting of young cancer patients. Hesse Lauterbach
After the bad news of August 2016, she receives chemotherapy. "A little later, my hair fell." Much worse for Mara, though: "Life was put on hold for the first time, and even though she continued with all my friends, I felt disconnected from the disease." Like Mara, who does not want to give her last name, there are thousands of young people in Germany.
Although the average age at the onset of cancer is high
The German help against cancer is 69, every year about 15,000 people between 18 and 39 years old are diagnosed. This upsets the lives of young people, even if the chances of recovery in this age group exceed 80%. What is the next step with education, study and work? What about partnership and family planning?
"Many young cancer patients suddenly feel like nothing," says cancer doctor Mathias Freund. In addition, there is little specialized support for young adults – unlike older people and children.
The German Foundation for Young Adults wants to change that with cancer. For about four years she has worked to improve the treatment and general living conditions of young people with cancer. There are now meeting places in 16 cities and regions, where there are hundreds of young cancer patients.
Mara (23) runs the meeting point in Hamburg with Wiebke (36), who also has lymphatic cancer. Often the discussions are about the big topic of partnership and family planning. After a cancer treatment, the chances of having a baby break down, as explained by cancer doctor Freund.
For a year and a half, the foundation has been trying to make the health insurance funds pay for cancer. Until now, young patients must finance the removal and preservation of their ova or sperm or their ovarian tissue itself. According to the foundation, this costs up to € 4,300
"The change of a single sentence of the Social Code V would make it possible to obtain funding from the health insurance funds", says Dr. Freund, a former professor at the University of Rostock. Now, the 68-year-old is involved as president of the foundation for young patients. Its goal is to make visible in society the problems of young adults with cancer. "The long-term consequences for young adults with cancer have not been adequately studied."
Mara's treatment lasted until January 2017. "It took me a year to recover from everything." If she conquered cancer in the summer of 2018 is uncertain. He is considered healthy. However, according to her, it can only be said that after five years she is cured
Young Cancer Portal
German Cancer Society
German Cancer Helps Cancer
Lymphoma Cancer
Lymphoma cancer is cancer
Disease of the lymphatic system, an important part of the body's own
Defense. It consists of organs such as spleen and bone marrow as well
Lymphatic vessels and knots. The typical symptoms of the disease are
swollen lymph nodes, fever, weight loss and nocturnal
Sweating. Men are more affected than women.
How cancer is treated depends on the type and stage –
as well as prospects for survival. Earlier the disease is detected
and treated, the better the prognosis is usually. Comes often
chemo and / or radiation used, sometimes
In addition, antibody therapy.
Most cases of lymph node cancer are
so-called non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. These include a lot of a group
various diseases whose healing prospects are strong
different.
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