Younger Adult Cancer Patient Stories for The New York Times Feature

We want to hear your stories of living with cancer as a younger adult. Cancer appears to be on the rise among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, especially women. These are ages when people are building careers, finding partners, raising children and taking care of aging parents. Nobody expects cancer to hit — and if it does, it can be a lonely and scary experience. As a health reporter at The New York Times, I’ve been writing this year about shifts in cancer trends over time and what may be driving rising rates in younger people, as well as how improvements in treatment are turning some cancers into chronic diseases rather than death sentences. I want to hear from patients about what it’s like to receive a cancer diagnosis as a younger adult, and how it affects all facets of life. Has your cancer diagnosis changed the way you think about yourself, or forced you to make tough life decisions?*Please explain and provide examples. What concerns about living with cancer stand out the most to you? These may include concerns about the risk of future cancers, fertility, sexuality, changes to appearance, feeling alone, career disruption, parenting, financial challenges or other. What cancer (type and stage) were you diagnosed with? How old were you when you were diagnosed?