Based on an increased appreciation of the unique challenges facing adolescents and young adults with cancer, there has been a coordinated national effort in Australia in recent years to address this issue. In 2007, CanTeen, a consumer support organization for young people with cancer, partnered with the Australian federal government to fund the development of a network of multidisciplinary Youth Cancer Services across the country. This has resulted in a collaborative effort involving clinicians, the federal and state governments, consumers, CanTeen, and other non-government organizations to implement equitable and sustainable models of care that will improve the coordination of services, treatment, and support for 15-25-year-olds with cancer. The aims of this article are to outline the origins of Youth Cancer Services in Australia, to discuss several innovative models of care that have developed according to local geographic and demographic need, to highlight some successful strategies and early obstacles to service development, and to outline the challenges for the future.
Keywords: psychosocial; service delivery; service development; standard of care.