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Talk about adjusting to the “New Normal” and thoughts may go to living under the ever present threat of terrorism. For a young person diagnosed with cancer, however, the term reflects the need for a whole new way of looking at the future.

The Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, thanks to a grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, will offer a comprehensive psychosocial support and education program to help young adult cancer survivors navigate the “new normal” that a cancer diagnosis can bring.

The $20,000 grant will help fund the Kimmel Cancer Center’s Navigating the New Normal program for cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 40, an age group of individuals that has different or more intense informational, emotional and concrete needs, said Walter J. Curran, Jr., M.D., professor and chair of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and clinical director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.

The program will offer an experienced oncology social worker for case management and counseling with young adult survivors, a lecture series presented by experts in the field, an expanded Web site to include information targeted to young cancer survivors and a buddy program.

“Several studies have reported higher levels of psychosocial distress and loneliness among younger versus older cancer survivors,” said Lora Rhodes, social worker at Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center. “Young adults experience special concerns in areas such as fertility, dating, finances and heightened fears of recurrence. For many young people, this is their first encounter with the health-care system, which can add considerable anxiety.

“Many young adults may not know anyone their own age who has experienced cancer,” Ms. Rhodes said. “In addition, those treated at cancer centers may never encounter anyone else their own age going through cancer treatment, adding to a keen sense of isolation. Young adults may also face significant financial stress, as they often are just beginning their careers, and do not have established savings to provide a financial safety net.”

In fact, the support program’s facilitator is herself a cancer survivor of the age that this program will benefit, she noted. Mary Grace Bontempo, LSW, an oncology social worker with the Kimmel Cancer Center since last November, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer at age 24.

Ms. Bontempo noted that there were not many support and education programs specifically addressing the needs of young adults with cancer when she was diagnosed eight years ago. She adds that in the past five to seven years more attention has been focused on the needs of young adult survivors thanks to the efforts and successes of organizations such as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Ulman Fund for Young Adults, and Fertile Hope.

“More can still be done, however, to develop support and resources specifically devoted to this age group, particularly at the community and institutional levels,” said Ms. Bontempo.

Navigating the New Normal will be made available to any person, male or female, between the ages of 18 and 40 who has been diagnosed with cancer at any stage. The services will be open to those younger individuals in treatment or post-treatment at Jefferson or any other medical center.

The overall goal of this program is to address the physical, emotional and social needs of young adult cancer survivors in the Philadelphia region, Ms. Rhodes said.

“This year’s applicants were outstanding,” said Priya Sircar, the public health program manager at the Lance Armstrong Foundation. “We are honored to support this unique and ground-breaking organization with its mission to help people living with cancer.”

The Kimmel Cancer Center hopes to eventually establish a community of young adult cancer survivors who are educated about their physical and psychosocial health, who support one another and who have access to health care professionals trained to best support them, said Dr. Curran.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) believes that in the battle with cancer, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. From the moment of diagnosis we provide the practical information and tools needed to live strong. The LAF focuses its activities on community survivorship programs, national advocacy initiatives, scientific and clinical research grants, and survivorship education and resources, including Live Strong, the LAF’s comprehensive resource for cancer survivors. The LAF was founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong and is located in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.laf.org and www.livestrong.org.

For information about the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson or to make an appointment with a Jefferson specialist, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW.