A model of palliative care for the adolescent with cancer

Adolescents are a distinct group in paediatric and adult cancer and palliative care specialities. The process that is experienced by the patient and his/her family of the transition from health to living with a life-threatening illness and from a life-threatening to a life-limited illness raises specific issues for service provision. The adolescent population presents with a wide variety of physical and emotional maturity that highlights the need for health professionals to be equipped with skills in adolescent care, cancer care and specialist palliative care. Due to the small number of patients who will require such a service in any one health district in the UK this is not usually realistic. This article discusses a model of care that promotes collaborative professional practice in a cancer centre between the paediatric department and adult specialist palliative care team that in turn extends a philosophy of care into cancer units and the community setting.