Abstract
After the video tutorials created a few months ago and published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Milan's Youth Project young cancer patients decided to record another video: a “special issue” dedicated to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The video addresses critical issues of the social isolation imposed by the lockdown and the fear the patients face in addition to their actual worries related to the disease. When many people across the world are forced to social distance for the imposed lockdown, the positive attitude and the advice of young cancer patients who experience social isolation regularly may be of great support and a fine example.
Dear Editor:
The Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology recently published “Tumorial: video tutorials produced by young patients on the Youth Project to voice their experiences.” The paper described an innovative communication project involving 53 teenage and young adult patients who produced a series of video tutorials sharing their treatment experiences and offering “survival tricks” to their peers. 1 The videos addressed various issues (such as school, sex, hair loss, privacy, social networks, scars, and ward companions), have English subtitles, and are published on the Youth Project's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0EVeYMAjgJlN95tSc_iPA).
In this dramatic historical time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, young patients from Milan's Youth Project decided to develop an additional Tumorial video: a “special issue” dedicated to the COVID-19 epidemic, the social isolation imposed by the lockdown, and the potential apprehension added on top of their worries related to disease. 2 The video link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP71I6NE-ks&fbclid=IwAR3rmxY_Plo6Q8hiY2emldPuw2ereNZflVv3J9q1pCHyD-pj0r-NdeqQEt4
The video is the result of editing six special pieces recorded by six different young patients while at home. Despite the Milan area and the Lombardy region being particularly affected by the pandemic, 3 the young patients tell us with great serenity not only that “alarmism is not necessary,” but also that “being adequately worried and careful is critical because it allows all the patients, healthy kids, our parents, to maintain alertness and do the right things.” Cancer patients, throughout their treatment regimens, experience social isolation regularly: they are isolated in sterile room when they lack immune defenses following intensive treatment. However, the simple fact that they are sick makes them more susceptible of being isolated from their peers, risking this way of social isolation every day.
These days, people are being forced into social isolation and distancing by the imposed lockdown, and the advice and positive attitudes of these young cancer patients toward these restrictions may be of great help and support. Being a teenager is characterized by need for social interaction. In their video, our patients suggest facing this difficult situation with a constructive approach: “We have something extra, we have a huge head start: we have always been experts in using social networks and new technologies, and this can come in handy like never before!”
This special Tumorial video, released through mass media and social networks, in this difficult moment of the pandemic also attempts to draw particular attention to a fragile category of patients such as young people with cancer. Thus, if in the general population young age is considered a protective factor for the severe complications of COVID-19, in adolescents and young adults with cancer, their disease and state of immunosuppression associated with therapies identifies this category them as being at greater risk. 4 With this in mind, this particular drastic period demands the utmost attention be paid to the clinical management, as well as the psychosocial support, of these young people.
Footnotes
Author Disclosure Statement
No competing financial interests exist.
Funding Information
No financial support/no funding was received.