title: Building a National Framework for Adolescent and Young Adult Hematology and Oncology and Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care: Report of the Inaugural Meeting of the "AjET" Working Group of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology.
abstract: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with hemato-oncological problems constitute a heterogenous group with characteristic particularities, specific needs, and age-related clinical and unique psychosocial features. Strong collaboration between pediatric and adult hemato-oncology settings is essential to address their needs appropriately. This is not only true for patients who first become ill during adolescence or young adulthood, but equally so for people who contract hemato-oncological diseases congenitally or as younger children and who are now becoming old enough to leave the pediatric setting and have to transit into "adult" medical care. Efforts to create environments that meet the specific needs of the AYA population affected by hemato-oncological diseases have been initiated in many countries. Due to international variations between societies in general and healthcare infrastructures in particular, the challenges posed to creating such environments vary considerably from country to country. Aiming at addressing these on a national basis for Germany, a dedicated Working Group on Adolescents, Young Adults, and Transition (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Adoleszenten, junge Erwachsene, Transition, AjET) was established. This meeting report depicts the content and discussions of the first interdisciplinary conference on treatment, transition, and long-term follow-up in AYAs with cancer or chronic/inborn hematological diseases. The AjET group of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH) intends to increase the national awareness for AYAs; strengthen the collaboration of pediatric and adult care givers; and initiate, promote, and coordinate collaborative activities in the fields of basic and translational research, clinical care, and long-term follow-up aimed at improving the current situation.
authors.affiliation: 1 University Medical Centre Eppendorf , Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hamburg, Germany .
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Escherich
authors.affiliation: 2 Pediatrics 5 (Oncology, Hematology, Immunology), Klinikum Stuttgart-Olgahospital, Stuttgart Cancer Center , Stuttgart, Germany .
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bielack
authors.affiliation: 3 Katharinenhöhe, Rehabilitationsklinik GmbH , Schönwald, Germany .
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: 2 Pediatrics 5 (Oncology, Hematology, Immunology), Klinikum Stuttgart-Olgahospital, Stuttgart Cancer Center , Stuttgart, Germany .
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Braungart
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen , Aachen, Germany .
authors.forename: Tim H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Brümmendorf
authors.affiliation: 5 Deutsche Stiftung für Junge Erwachsene mit Krebs , Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.affiliation: 1 University Medical Centre Eppendorf , Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hamburg, Germany .
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosse
authors.affiliation: 6 Haematology/Oncology Department for Adolescent Medicine, Robert-Bosch-Hospital , Stuttgart, Germany .
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoferer
authors.affiliation: 7 Netzwerk für die Versorgung Schwerkranker Kinder und Jugendlicher e.V., Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School , Hannover, Germany .
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kampschulte
authors.affiliation: 1 University Medical Centre Eppendorf , Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hamburg, Germany .
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: 8 Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck , Lübeck, Germany .
authors.forename: Melchior
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lauten
authors.affiliation: 9 MVZ Facharztzentrum Fürstenfeldbruck , Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany .
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.affiliation: 3 Katharinenhöhe, Rehabilitationsklinik GmbH , Schönwald, Germany .
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: 2 Pediatrics 5 (Oncology, Hematology, Immunology), Klinikum Stuttgart-Olgahospital, Stuttgart Cancer Center , Stuttgart, Germany .
authors.forename: Freimut
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.affiliation: 10 Jugend & Zukunft Berufliche Beratung für Junge Menschen mit Krebserkrankung , München, Germany .
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wöhrle
authors.affiliation: 11 Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm , Ulm, Germany .
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cario
authors.affiliation: 12 University Hospital Muenster, Westfalian Wilhelms University Muenster , Muenster, Germany .
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dirksen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000073116:Cancer Survivors; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005858:Germany; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006405:Hematology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D060305:Transition to Adult Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescent; hematology; oncology; pediatric; survivorship; transition