“I’m totally fine if I have a gummy after dinner.” 

One of my Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) patients tells me this almost every time we meet for counseling. “It just takes the edge off. I feel better. I can relax and fall asleep.” 

Until six years ago, it was illegal to use marijuana without a prescription in my state (Arizona). Some providers were fine with cannabis use in edible form and others highly discouraged any use, but either way our healthcare institution didn’t provide the necessary prescriptions. Patients who wanted to use cannabis to control side effects of their cancer care were going to dispensaries where they paid a doctor who didn’t know them and didn’t understand their cancer diagnosis or treatment to write the prescription. Or they would get it in other, less regulated and less safe ways.  

Cannabis use, although popular with AYA patients (ages 15-39), is just one of the modalities this patient population may want to explore as complementary to their oncology-prescribed cancer treatment and care. Massage, acupuncture, supplements, exercise, music therapy, mindfulness, and aromatherapy might be considered. But why do AYAs look for therapies and strategies to boost their prescribed treatment?  

One reason is “AYAs experience a disproportionate amount of cancer treatment-related toxicities compared with those that are younger or older” (Pope, 2026). Many AYAs (>85%) will live at least 5 years past their cancer treatment. While we celebrate this statistic, we must also acknowledge the impact cancer and its treatment have on AYAs who may live decades as cancer survivors. Common side effects during treatment include pain, nausea, weight loss/gain, cognitive impairment, muscle wasting, and mood disturbances. Unsurprisingly, many of these issues and more follow them into survivorship and linger for the rest of their lives. Not only do these side effects have physical implications, they also impact mental health.  

Another reason is the loss of control, which is an all too familiar feeling for AYAs. Looking for solutions to their symptoms and side effects is one way they try to regain control. When they look to their oncology teams for help, sometimes the prescribed traditional approaches to symptom management and side effects may not always provide relief. So where does that leave a desperate AYA? Many look to sources like “Dr. Google” or social media to address their unmet needs. They do this at a greater rate than do their older adult counterparts (Pope, 2026). 

Social media and the internet combine to create a sea of opinions and facts, potentially dangerous ideas, and evidence-based information. AYAs are looking for connections with others who “get it,” and in the scrolling and swiping, find understanding, hope, and solutions. To stay engaged and aware of what our patients are doing, it’s important for medical professionals, including oncology social workers, to not only be aware of various complementary therapy options, but to ask our patients about their use of these modalities. We must encourage the use of reliable and credible sources and open and continued communication with their oncology team (Lopez, et al, 2017).  

In 2022, guidelines recommending integrative approaches for cancer treatment side effects were published in a combined effort by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO). These guidelines have opened the door to better understanding among cancer care providers, however the data behind these guidelines relied heavily on studying older adults. This highlighted the need for additional research specific to the AYA population regarding complementary and integrative approaches to care (Wu, et al, 2026). The most recent AYA Oncology Guidelines published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) call for practitioners to continually assess their AYA patients’ use of complementary and alternative medicine, but that is the limit of AYA specific discussion on this topic (www.nccn.org). 

AYAs are historically underserved and understudied in all aspects of their cancer care and survivorship. More research is needed to better understand their use of complementary therapies. More communication is needed to understand their side effects and symptoms, evaluate if the prescribed solutions are helping, and ask them what they’ve heard or tried based on recommendations outside the cancer center.  

As oncology social workers, we can have a significant influence on the communication our AYA patients have with their medical teams. We can encourage conversation and help build trust within the team. Through rapport, we open the door for AYAs to share their concerns and frustrations with medical solutions that “aren’t working” and when they express interest in complementary therapies, we can guide them to reputable sources, watch the TikTok video with them, and work with the medical team to consider all avenues to provide whole person care.     

References 

Lopez, G., Liu, W., Madden, K. et al. Adolescent-young adults (AYA) with cancer seeking integrative oncology consultations: demographics, characteristics, and self-reported outcomes. Support Care Cancer 26, 1161–1167 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3937-8 

National Comprehensive Cancer Network. (2026). NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology (Version 1.2026). https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/aya.pdf 

Pope, J. M. (2026). Integrative oncology approaches to adolescents and young adults. In S. M. Zick & T. Bao (Eds.), Comprehensive integrative oncology (pp. 923–936). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-30194-0.00008-4 

Wu, H.-W. V., Lam, C. S., Chimonas, S., Tap, W. D., Glade Bender, J., & Mao, J. J. (2026). Integrative medicine for pain among adolescent and young adult patients with cancer: A scoping review. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-026-01990-x