A national conference held this month at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) shed light on a growing, but often overlooked population: young adults with cancer who are juggling not only treatment but also early careers, growing families, and plans for the future.
Professor Irit Ben-Aharon (far left) with the OncoYoungTeam. Photography: Rambam HCC
The conference, called Cancer in Young Adults—Just One Piece of the Puzzle, brought together dozens of patients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s for a full day of multidisciplinary workshops, expert-led discussions, and peer support. The event aimed to address the unique emotional and logistical challenges that arise when cancer diagnosis collides with a formative stage in life.
“Unlike pediatric or older adult patients, for whom supportive care is well established, Young adults are facing unique challenges as fertility issues, coping with children and other psychosocial unmet needs.” says Professor Irit Ben-Aharon, Director of Rambam’s Fishman Oncology Center. “This conference was created to meet them exactly where they are.”
Participants attended sessions led by a multidisciplinary team of specialists from Rambam’s pioneering OncoYoung Program, including a physical therapist who specializes in oncological rehabilitation, a clinical nutritionist, social worker, naturopath, and members of the hospital’s psycho-oncology unit. The conference balanced practical tools with emotional support — and concluded with a special performance by actress and comedian Nelly Tagar, offering laughter and a sense of relief in a shared space of understanding.
The conference was developed as part of Rambam’s ongoing leadership in addressing the unique needs of young adults with cancer. More than six years ago, Rambam launched the OncoYoung program—the first of its kind in Israel—offering a patient-centered model of care tailored to this demographic. Rambam has played a key role in advancing a holistic approach that has influenced national standards, including revisions to the oncology nursing syllabus. The OncoYoung program was featured in Nature, a leading peer-reviewed journal, and has since inspired the creation of similar initiatives across the country.
“This is about more than medicine,” says Michal Bar-Doron, Deputy Director of Stop Cancer (Halasartan), who also participated in this year’s conference. “It’s about validating the real-life experiences of young people facing cancer, and creating a community that doesn’t ask them to put their lives on hold while they heal.”
For many attendees, the conference offered reassurance that they are not alone. Meaningful care includes not only treatment but also connection and understanding as young people face a life-changing diagnosis while continuing to build their lives.
