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Welcome! The Fellows' Corner is a space managed by Nina Jackson Levin and other student fellows where they share their achievements, thoughts, and reflections on health disparity-related conversations in psycho-oncology for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivors.
5th Annual Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress
5th Annual Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress
SAVE THE DATE
June 20-23, 2023, for the 5th Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress!
The theme of the 2023 Congress is REAL WORLD AYA CANCER CARE: PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITIES. This event is the world’s most significant gathering of medical professionals and advocates in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer care! This congress will offer clinical, allied health and social care professionals, along with AYA focused patient advocates a space to learn from leading international experts, share research and care practices, and connect to a worldwide network that is focused on improving cancer care and outcomes for this unique population of young people.
Check out our latest article on AYA Oncofertility Services
financial concern as a factor of social disparity
4th Annual Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress
4th Annual Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress
On December 1st and 2nd, 2021, AYA CARE Affiliates presented new manuscripts at the 4th Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress (GAYACC), based in London, UK but hosted virtually across the globe.
Nina Jackson Levin, Molly Moravek, and Brad Zebrack presented a forthcoming manuscript titled "Queer Insights": Challenges and Considerations for Assessing Sex and Gender in Oncofertility Research. This paper explored some of the sample size, measurement, and clinical challenges and solutions related to accurate and appropriate representation of sexual and gender minority, or queer, AYAs in research and clinical care.
Nick Iannarino, Nina Jackson Levin, Daria Stelmak, and Brad Zebrack presented a poster titled Understanding AYA Cancer Patients' Experiences of Uncertainty Surrounding Oncofertility. This poster shared preliminary findings from a mixed methods oncofertility study that explores medical, social, and personal uncertainty regarding fertility preservation decision-making.
It was a joy to present forthcoming work at this year's GAYACC. We look forward to next year's gathering!
Family Building During & After Cancer
Family Building During & After Cancer
Wednesday February 2, 2022 6pm-7:30pm EST
The Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program partnered with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Michigan-Indiana Chapter and Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor to create a live educational webinar on Family Building During & After Cancer.
Starting a family can be a complicated and emotional journey, especially if you've been diagnosed with cancer. Join us for a free educational workshop exploring how treatment may impact fertility for pediatric & young adult cancer patients and survivors, preservation options prior to treatment, fertility options after cancer treatment, as well as a look at the process of adoption. We will also discuss the psychosocial effects of family planning, including communication with partners and more. All patients, survivors, loved ones, and healthcare professionals are welcome.
Panelists Dr. Molly B. Moravek and Lauren Thormeier from Hands Across the Water will present information on family-building consideration for survivors, loved ones, and health care providers.
Click HERE to register. See you there!
AYA CARE in MHealthy Lab
AYA CARE in MHealthy Lab
The Adolescent and Young Adult Program is featured on MHealth Lab's news site, titled "Meet the team that's cancer experiences for teenagers, young adults." In honor of September's themed motnh Block Out Pediatric Cancer, Brad Zebrack, Emily Walling, Anao Zhang, and Nina Jackson Levin spoke with MHealth Lab about projects, progress, and prospects that the AYA Program is tackling. Thanks for the feature!
AYA Program Interns Gathering
AYA Program Interns Gathering
In July 2021, the AYA Oncology Program Interns - past and present - gathered on Zoom to share with each other their experiences in working with and learning from the AYA Program. Students whose program internships date back to 2018 attended, representing from Social Work, Psychology, Kinesiology, and Medicine. Many gave gone on t pursue further study and employment in clinical oncology settings. We are so luck to have such a fantastic group of interns who make our work with AYAs so meaningful!
Let's Talk About Sex: Sexual Health for Young Adult Cancer Patients & Survivors
Let's Talk About Sex: Sexual Health for Young Adult Cancer Patients & Survivors
The Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program partnered with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Michigan-Indiana Chapter and Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor to create a live educational webinar on Sexual Health for Young Adult Cancer Patients & Survivors.
Dr. Bernie Stoody from University of Michigan's Adolescent Medicine division spoke about sexual health risks and protective practices during and after treatment. Dr. Shanna Katz Kattari from the University of Michigan's School of Social Work spoke about self-acceptance and communication with partners around intimacy.
The webinar recording can be viewed here.
Stay tuned for more live educational webinars coming in 2022!
Dr. Emily Walling is an Assistant Professor specializing in Hematology/Oncology and Pediatrics at C.S Mott. She is the Co-Medical Director of the AYA Program at Michigan Medicine.
Fellow's Corner (FC) had the opportunity to interview Dr. Emily Walling about her perspectives on starting an AYA program and the importance of this initiative for AYAs.
Fellow's Corner interview with Dr. Emily Walling
Fellow's Corner interview with Dr. Emily Walling
FC: What is your favorite part of working with AYAs?
EW: Resilience is a quality that I greatly admire and this patient population embodies that trait. Invariably, the first questions I get from my patients are something like: "Ok. How soon can I get back to playing basketball?" or, "I have a big test on Friday, how will that work?" or, "I have an ice skating competition this weekend, can we shift my chemotherapy a few days so I feel well enough to participate?" The drive to continue participating in their activities and school is remarkable. Invariably, their goal is to figure out how to fit cancer treatment into their busy lives rather than let their life be consumed by their diagnosis and treatment. It's admirable and inspiring.
FC: What do you see as the most important challenges facing AYAs?
EW: One of the biggest challenge facing an AYA oncology patient is the disruption and isolation a cancer diagnosis imposes.
FC: What are you most excited about for the new AYA clinical and research program at Michigan Medicine?
EW: The opportunity to directly improve AYAs cancer experience is a privilege and I'm honored to be in the position to do so. I'm very excited about the research aspect of our program, it's so important to have a dedicated entity addressing unanswered questions about the AYA cancer population. When developing this program, I felt it was essential that it be patient driven, so an aspect I am most excited about and proud of is our patient advisory board. This board will help prioritize both the clinical and research initiatives of our program.
FC: Any other thoughts about the process of starting the AYA program?
EW: Developing this program has enabled and necessitated us to form partnerships across not only Michigan Medicine but across the University of Michigan. The multidisciplinary nature of our program provides strength and positions us to have a true impact on AYA's cancer experience and the field of AYA oncology.
FC: We couldn't agree more. Thanks for sharing your insight!
Sexual & Reproductive Health for AYAs Guest Lecture at Widener University Center for Social Work Education
Sexual & Reproductive Health for AYAs Guest Lecture at Widener University Center for Social Work Education
Nina Jackson Levin will present a guest lecture on October 20, 2020 in Dr. Brent A. Satterly's BSW course on Concepts in Human Sexuality at Widener University's Center for Social Work Education.
Discussion topics will include, AYA sexual and reproductive health, fertility preservation, and LGBTQ+ care during treatment and throughout survivorship.
A Forward-Looking Approach to Psychosocial Issues for AYAs
A Forward-Looking Approach to Psychosocial Issues for AYAs
AYAs face an increasingly complex world, and navigating cancer treatment and survivorship in a global context poses distinct challenges and opportunities for young people. In order to provide holistic and up to date care, providers must consider the ways in which the following domains uniquely affect AYA psychosocial well-being: (1) Precarious labor, educational, and financial conditions; (2) Changing timetables and priorities for developmental tasks; (3) Sexual and gender plurality; (4) Expanding cultural diversity of AYA; (5) Social genomics; (6) Technology and social media.
The table below outlines these six domains as well as corresponding considerations for how to incorporate these domains into a forward-looking psychosocial framework for AYA care.
To read more about these six domains, please read our recently published article Psychosocial Issues for Adolescent and Young Adults: A Forward-Looking Approach by Nina Jackson Levin, Bradley Zebrack, and Steve W. Cole (Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 2019).
The table below is adapted from Chad Hammond's "Against a Singular Message of Distinctness: Challenging Dominant Representations of Adolescents and Young Adults in Oncology (2017) in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
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