Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program

At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, we recognize that adolescents and young adults ages 15-21 need specialized oncology and support services to meet their unique needs. In fact, international research has shown that adolescents and young adults who receive treatment from pediatric oncologists have higher survival rates, especially those diagnosed with malignancies more common in children. As a result, we can treat young adults with cancer as old as 25 and can consult on adults of all ages who have a cancer more common in younger children and teens.

The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program, within the Division of Hematology/Oncology combines unparalleled treatment options with a comprehensive approach to care that addresses the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. This program enables patients to be treated by pediatric oncologists in collaboration with adult oncologists to provide the most complete cancer care possible. It’s an approach patients won’t find anywhere else in the region. And most importantly, it’s an approach that will give patients a better chance at survival.

The AYA Oncology Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital encourages a collaborative effort between pediatric and adult oncologists to ensure the complex medical and psychosocial needs of this age group are addressed. It takes a two-pronged approach, giving patients diagnosed with common pediatric malignancies access to the newest Children’s Oncology Group (COG) national cooperative clinical trials, as well as novel therapeutic trials and research within Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, while offering patients diagnosed with common adult malignancies access to the outstanding care and breakthrough treatments found at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.