Researchers have discovered that the immune system's T cells can travel to the prostate to provide long-term protection against infections. Their findings suggest we might harness these same disease-fighting cells to treat prostate cancer.

Each year, about 85,000 adolescents and young adults (AYA) between the ages of 15 and 39 are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, this represents about 4% of all new cancer diagnoses.

Depending on age and specific diagnosis, many AYA people with cancer may be treated at either a pediatric cancer center or an adult cancer center. However, often these patients don’t feel comfortable in either setting as they feel too old for settings gear toward young children, but too young in centers where most of the patients are elderly.

This population also must navigate challenges surrounding normal milestones for others their age, such as pursuing an education, establishing a career or creating a family. Additionally, financial instability and lack of insurance coverage often deter AYAs from seeking timely medical attention, further complicating their prognosis.

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and the Alliance Foundation Trials (AFT) have several active trials specifically poised to help the AYA population as well as others open to people in the AYA demographic.

Take a first look at the American Society of Hematology HematOmics Program (ASHOP) platform & its promise to move hematological malignancy research forward.