Youth oncology program slated for funding boost

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) this week announced the allocation of $1 million for a cancer treatment program for young adults at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

The funds, included in the federal Defense Appropriations bill, would be used to establish a medical home for young cancer patients. The bill still needs to pass through several more legislative hurdles before the funds reach Burbank.

The Adolescent and Young Adults Oncology Program at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center opened in February and is the first comprehensive cancer facility in the San Fernando Valley catering to cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 39.

The new in-patient unit funded through Schiff’s earmark would be a joint venture with the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

Historically, survival rates for young cancer patients have not increased significantly in the past 40 years, with nearly 65,000 adolescents and young adults being diagnosed with cancer.

“This funding will go a long way to help us understand, treat and diagnose youth and adolescent cancer, while addressing the psychological impact that cancer has on patients and their families,” said Providence Saint Joseph Chief Executive Barry Wolfman.