The Reid R Sacco Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Alliance was founded in 2005 with a focus on raising awareness about AYA cancer and its underserved patient population. As one of the earliest AYA cancer patient advocacy organizations to be established globally, the Alliance has evolved into a renowned leader in drawing attention to, and finding solutions for, a broad spectrum of gaps and unique challenges faced by AYAs diagnosed with cancer.
Looking forward into the next decade, the Alliance will sharpen its focus onto four primary initiatives:
Accelerating AYA-cancer-specific clinical research
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Expansion of dedicated treatment and consultation services for AYA cancer patients
Training and education (through certifications and fellowships) of medical professionals in AYA oncology and in long-range AYA cancer survivorship care and follow-up
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Further development of our comprehensive "one-stop-shop" online resource designed to provide AYA cancer patients and survivors the answers, information, and referrals they want and need.
Resources for AYA Cancer Patients and Survivors
Managed by the AYA Cancer Program at Tufts Medical Center, this page is a one-stop-shop for the most comprehensive resources for AYA Cancer patients. It provides connections to resources addressing pressing issues including fertility, employment, education, financing and insurance.
A Free-Spirited Childhood on a Dairy Farm, Where Books and Science Experiments Were Encouraged
Susan K. Parsons, MD, MRP, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Founding Director of the Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult Program for Cancer and Hereditary Blood Disorders at Tufts Medical Center, grew up on a working dairy farm in Sharon Springs, a small town in Upstate New York. “I was the third of five siblings, and my family was the center of my life. We had a large farm that included two homesteads—our house on one side of the road and my grandparents’ house on the other side of the road. The edge of the farm was demarcated by a road called Parsons Road, of course!!” she said. “Seemingly every one of my relatives lived on Parsons Road.”
By Robert Piana
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