Editorial

Mark KieranDana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USARapid advances in the molecular characterization of cancer have resulted in new approaches to treatment. For greatest impact, targeted agents, in combination with traditional therapies, will need to be tested in each age group and for each disease. Adolescents and young adults are being recognized as a distinct group of patients that unfortunately are under-represented in formal clinical trials and new treatment assessments. The reason for this are multiple and include the lack of insurance coverage for many as they transition to independence from their parents, the sense of invincibility that many young adults feel, the types of tumors observed in these patients, and the lack of coordinated clinical trial consortiums for this age group.