Meeting these unique needs requires special knowledge and skills, so within the NHS there are cancer services especially for teenagers and young adults. These services are aimed at young people between the ages of 16 and 24. Your choices depend partly on your age, but you should receive high quality care wherever this is provided, and no matter how old you are.
Under 16
All children under 16 years will be treated in a children's cancer hospital, known as a Principal Treatment Centre (PTC). Some of your treatment may be given in a local hospital linked to the PTC. This is called a Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit (POSCU).
Children's Principal Treatment Centres
Age 16 - 18
Some Children's PTCs cover the 16-18 age range, and your may have your care in a TYA (teenage and young adult) Unit within a children's PTC. These hospitals that have been recognised as specialist experts in TYA cancer, as well as for children. It might not be the hospital that is closest to your home, but it will be the one that is qualified to give you care and treatment options specific to your age group.
TYA Principal Treatment Centres
Aged 19 - 24
You should have the option of having your treatment at a Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) for teenagers and young adults, or you can choose a hospital that has been approved to provide cancer care for young adults, within its overall adult cancer services (designated hospital, or DH). Your treatment would still be supervised by specialists at the PTC.
Where you are treated may also depend on the type of cancer you have, and your individual situation, for example where you live.