The Young Women's Program for Cancer Care at White Plains Hospital

The incidence of cancer among young women has been rising at an alarming rate over the past several years. Moreover, as published in January 2025 by the American Cancer Society, those cancer incidence rates even surpass those among their male counterparts. At White Plains Hospital over the past 5 years, there have been over 1700 women under the age of 50 diagnosed with cancer.

The Young Women's Program for Cancer Care, established at White Plains Hospital in October of 2023, aims to recognize and address the unique needs of women under the age of 50 who have been diagnosed with cancer. Beyond providing exceptional medical care, the program encompasses all of the multidisciplinary and psychosocial aspects of care via dedicated navigation, education, programming, and support groups to treat and guide our patients with the most holistic approach.

The Program has grown tremendously over the past year, already having enrolled 160 patients. There is a dedicated support group specifically tailored to this patient population, that meets regularly and is facilitated by our clinical social worker and clinical navigator, and that is even separate from the partnership that we have formed with psycho oncology providers for easy access for our patients. There is also scheduled educational programming that happens multiple times per month, led by speakers from our multidisciplinary team; topics have included important and relevant issues such as genetic testing, fertility preservation, nutrition, impact of alcohol on cancer risk, various exercise programs, meditation and wellness. There is also a separate ongoing sexual health series for our patients facilitated by a sexual health specialist.

In addition, we have been able to implement community building events such as group walks, holiday gatherings for patients and their loved ones, cosmetics events for those undergoing chemotherapy, and art therapy sessions, among others. Our goal is to help expedite excellent oncologic care while creating a warm and supportive environment that addresses all of the interdisciplinary needs of this patient population.