YOUNG CANCER PORTAL – Free expert counseling for young cancer patients

The JUNGE KREBSPORTAL (YOUNG CANCER PORTAL) enables young women and men who are suffering from cancer or currently having a relapse to quickly get in contact with experts throughout Germany and obtain the necessary information and advice. With the help of the online-based portal, young cancer patients can address individual issues for the specialized team of consultants of the YOUNG CANCER PORTAL and receive answers in online chats, telephone calls or in-person conversations.

Access to counseling for specialists

In addition to the range of counseling services for young patients, the online portal also offers professionals from various fields the opportunity to exchange ideas with the advisory teams of the YOUNG CANCER PORTAL. Professionals, such as doctors, nurses or social workers, can turn to JUNGE KREBSPORTAL for their individual requests. The consultants support both case-specific issues as well as more general problems.

Consulting topics

Currently, consultations on the following topic are offered:

Social law issues (job & money, rehabilitation, reintegration)

In addition to health issues, having cancer can have social and financial consequences. In this subject area, young patients receive individual and targeted help in coping with the bureaucracy in the “Jungle of the Social Code”.

For social law questions, social physicians from the working group “Oncological Rehabilitation” of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology e.V. (DGHO) advise young patients on all topics related to “work and finances”. These include questions about education, study and re-entry into the profession. In addition, there is counseling on age-appropriate rehab offers, severely handicapped ID cards, retraining, financial aid and disability pension. But the advisory team also offers tips to affected young people on applications and time limits for social welfare organizations and public institutions.

The team of consultants consists of specialists in oncology and hematology, who also have special qualifications in social medicine.

Changes in the hormone balance

As a result of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, there may be treatment-related impairments and changes in the hormone balance in the body. The effects can be varied and diverse. For example, with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, reduced bone mineral density (osteoporosis) and increased risk of metabolic heart disease can occur. In addition, women may experience changes in their monthly cycle or early onset of menopause.

Often, such complaints can lead to a significant reduction in the quality of life. Therefore, early and specialized treatment is particularly important.

Specialists in endocrinology, internal medicine, oncology and hematology will be happy to provide you with information and advice when you have questions about therapy and disease-related changes in the hormone balance.

Immunodeficiencies

Young sufferers often receive intensive cancer therapy, which can lead to lasting dysfunction of the immune system. These are known as acquired immune deficiencies and may be associated with increased susceptibility to infections.

Good support and timely treatment can reduce the risk of infection. In addition to the acquired immunodeficiencies, there are also congenital immune deficiencies that can sometimes lead to an increased risk of certain cancers. Here, we work closely with specialists in immunology to discover congenital or combined immune deficiencies.

Oncologists and immunologists from the Immune Defects & Immune Dysregulation working group of the DGHO provide their knowledge and experience in the field of immune deficiencies.

Integrative cancer medicine

In the field of integrative cancer medicine, young cancer patients receive counseling to support their healing process with so-called holistic procedures. Among other things, the advisory team explains nutrition, treatment based on plants, traditional Chinese medicine, exercise, relaxation procedures. These methods alone cannot cure cancer. In addition to cancer treatment, they can make an important contribution to the intensive treatments – especially chemotherapy and radiotherapy – to better tolerate and reduce side effects and ideally to prevent a relapse.

The team of consultants consists of specialists in internal medicine, hematology/internal oncology, nutritional, sports, emergency and palliative care.

Further information on the YOUNG CANCER PORTAL

The YOUNG CANCER PORTAL was initiated by the German Foundation for Young Adults with Cancer, and the foundation’s employees look after it technically and administratively. The advisory teams are made up of volunteers, qualified experts from the respective fields. The YOUNG CANCER PORTAL was developed together with physicians, patients, lawyers and IT specialists.

The foundation team is working to constantly expand and update the topics related to the needs of young cancer patients

The YOUNG CANCER PORTAL came in third place at the Springer Medizin CharityAwards 2017 on 19th October 2017.

Contact person

Kristina Lehmann

T: +49 (0)30 28 09 30 56 0

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