BC Cancer - Partners in Discovery - Spring 2018 - 8

"As a young person with cancer it's
hard because you have all these goals
and dreams and then there's this giant
roadblock and you are afraid you will
never reach any of the goals you have
hoped for," Brittany says.
Dr. Amirrtha Srikanthan, medical
oncologist at BC Cancer, recalls meeting a patient who was 22 years old
early in her career.
"She had a lot of optimism and
held it together through the entire
appointment. After the appointment
was done, I was reviewing the chemotherapy side effects and written at
the bottom was a warning: This may
impact your fertility. I went back to the
patient to highlight this and she just
crumpled. As a young woman myself
at the time, this really stayed with me.
I knew there had to be a better way to
deliver care to this patient group," Dr.
Srikanthan says.
In 2003, when Brittany was diagnosed, there weren't many ways
to connect with other young
people affected by cancer. "But
I had the support of family and
friends, the oncologist and the
nurses, who were

like angels. Talking with people who
had the same cancer and seeing that
they lived through it was a huge
inspiration for me," Brittany recalls.

SUPPORT FOR A
SPECIAL POPULATION
Today, Dr. Srikanthan leads a team
of experts who are seeking to build a
robust AYA oncology program at BC
Cancer. AYA patients differ from both
younger and older cancer populations
with respect to their spectrum of diseases, the biology of their cancers, and
their developmental status and unique
psychosocial needs.
"At this age, you're just starting to
think about your life goals, finances,
relationships, finding out who you are
and what you want to do with your
life," Dr. Srikanthan says. "When a

cancer diagnosis disrupts these life
events, extra support is needed."
Supportive care for both practitioners and patients is critical to ensure
AYA patients' unique needs around
fertility and psychosocial well-being
are addressed. With a comprehensive
program, the team will be able to offer
support not only to patients, but to
healthcare providers as well, to ensure
patient needs are being met every step
of the way.
Today, Brittany is 13 years cancerfree and sees her experience as just a
speed bump in life's journey: "People
always said to me 'oh, you're so positive,' and yes, I was, but I want young
people to know it's OK to cry and
feel sorry for yourself sometimes. Do
what's right for you," she says.
"It will feel like the end of the road
when you hear the word 'cancer' but
it's not. Don't let cancer make you feel
like any less of a person. Be proud!"
Like Brittany, 85 per cent of AYA
patients survive the disease. There are
approximately 3,000 AYA patients in
B.C. diagnosed from 1970 to 2010 who
are alive today.
Despite this high survival rate,
cancer remains the most common
cause of disease-related deaths
in this age group and AYA

SURVIVOR'S
STORY
Watch a video featuring
Brittany Mitchell and
Dr. Amirrtha Srikanthan at
bccancerfoundation.com/AYA.

Brittany and her dog, Gladys.

8

PARTNERS IN DISCOVERY
http://www.bccancerfoundation.com/AYA
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BC Cancer - Partners in Discovery - Spring 2018
