National Strategy for Continuous Clinical Care of Young Cancer Patients

National strategy for the continuous clinical care of adolescents and young adults with cancer. The National Cancer Institutes (INCan), Pediatrics (INP), and the Federico Gómez Children's Hospital of Mexico (HIMFG) formalized a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening the continuity of comprehensive care for adolescents and young adults with cancer, particularly for those transitioning from a pediatric oncology care model to an adult model. However, it was emphasized that this group of patients faces risks of long-term adverse effects, making permanent monitoring of growth, organ function, fertility, the risk of second cancers, and psychosocial health indispensable. Finally, INCan's medical oncologist, Erika B. Ruiz García, presented the advances of the Adolescent and Young Adult Care Clinic of this institute, whose purpose was to bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology. She detailed that the clinic began operations in 2022, treated young people up to 29 years old, and recorded an average of 150 to 160 patients per year. With the implementation of this care model, INCan has consolidated itself as a national reference in the comprehensive care of adolescents and young adults with cancer, in line with the guidelines and efforts of the Coordinating Commission of National Health Institutes and High Specialty Hospitals (CCINSHAE), aimed at strengthening the transition of care for chronic pediatric-origin diseases. This approach has gained greater relevance given the increase in childhood cancer survival, a phenomenon that has changed the long-term care needs. In this context, the pediatric oncologist at INP, María Fernanda Fernández Bautista, reported that the institution registered approximately 216 new annual cases of pediatric cancer. The participating institutions agreed that this collaboration allowed for the articulation of medical, academic, and care efforts to ensure a more efficient transition between pediatric and adult oncology services. During the session, it was explained that the transition in pediatric oncology constitutes a planned and gradual process, designed for people treated for cancer in childhood or adolescence to be incorporated into the adult care model without loss of follow-up or deterioration in the quality of medical services. Likewise, the consolidation of the Cancer Survivor Clinic at INP was highlighted, which provided comprehensive follow-up from newborns to young adults, enabling the timely detection of early and late sequelae associated with oncological treatments. In turn, the pediatric oncologist at HIMFG, Gabriela Hernández, pointed out that in high-specialty institutions, a growing number of girls, boys, and adolescents have overcome cancer and reached adulthood. The agreement was presented in Mexico City on December 21 and established an inter-institutional coordination framework to ensure orderly and safe processes during this critical care stage. The agreement, disclosed during the INCan's General Session, aimed to optimize referral and clinical follow-up mechanisms, as well as to promote joint work focused on the patient.