Managing Stress in AYA Cancer Patients

A cancer diagnosis and the treatment that follows can trigger stress and anxiety. Camille is joined this week by Dr. Abby Rosenberg, an expert in helping AYA cancer patients manage stress. They chat about why being diagnosed as an adolescent/young adult has particular challenges, tools and techniques for managing stress, and how palliative care is different from hospice care (spoiler alert - it's not just for end of life care!). Listen in to learn why stress is normal, the three categories of resilience resources, the power of distraction, the benefit of emotions, and how palliative care helps the entire care team focus on what is important to the patient. Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA, joined the team at Boston Children's Hospital as the Director of Palliative Care in 2023. She is also the Chief of Pediatric Palliative Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Prior to that, she was at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she served as the Director of Survivorship and Outcomes Research and Director of Pediatrics at the Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence. Both Dr. Rosenberg’s clinical approach and her research focus on helping people facing serious illness to live their best lives, for as long as possible. Specifically, she and her team develop programs that help patients and families build resilience and optimize their quality of life.