Recognized as a Top 50 Cancer Program by U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026.
Adolescents and young adults with cancer face unique medical and emotional challenges. For the most appropriate treatment, they need care from doctors who specialize in treating this age group.
We provide the most comprehensive adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer care on Florida’s west coast in the Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute at Johns Hopkins All Children’s in St. Petersburg, Florida. Our AYA cancer specialists are experts at treating 15- to 21-year-olds with all types of cancer.
Thanks to advances in care, we’re able to effectively treat cancer in teens and young adults. But we don’t stop there. Our team understands the complex social, emotional and physical needs of teens and young adults. We’re here to help teens and young adults navigate the challenges of cancer treatment and beyond.
Why Choose Johns Hopkins All Children’s
We know that teens and young adults with cancer are unique not just because of their age. They often respond better to cancer treatments developed for younger children. But they also have complex, adult medical and emotional needs that many pediatric programs can’t address.
To receive the best care, it’s important to seek out a program dedicated to teens and young adults. At our AYA oncology program, you can expect:
- Expert team: As one of Florida’s largest pediatric cancer programs, we have oncologists who are experts in all types of cancers. We understand how cancer affects the AYA population, and we have the expertise to effectively treat it.
- Innovative treatments: There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to treating teens and young adults with cancer. Many AYA cancer patients respond best to treatments used for children. But they also have unique emotional and social needs specific to their age. Our specialists tailor a treatment plan to fit each patient’s needs.
- Access to clinical trials: Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the only Florida-based site in the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network (PEP-CTN). As such, we serve as a critical access point for early-phase, precision-guided clinical trials for patients across Florida and beyond. Johns Hopkins All Children’s is also a member of the Sunshine Project Consortium and the Beat Childhood Cancer Consortium (BCC) and serves as a site for both investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials.
- Collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center: We partner with Moffitt Cancer Center to provide the best care for our AYA population.
Support Services We Provide
The goal of our AYA cancer program is to help patients cope with the challenges of moving from childhood to adulthood while also dealing with cancer. We understand how difficult this can be.
Our program takes a comprehensive approach to improving quality of life for teens and young adults with cancer. We provide the support our patients need, including:
- Fertility counseling: Cancer treatment can affect the ability to have children later in life. Our AYA team counsels teen and young adult patients about potential fertility problems. We make sure our patients understand the options for preserving their fertility before starting cancer treatment. We partner with Fertility Preservation Programs in the area to provide the care that is needed.
- Academic support: We provide support for patients as they navigate academics during and after treatment.
- Coping skills: Our psychosocial team, including social work, psychology, and child life are an integral support as our AYA population manages the social and emotional challenges of a life-threatening illness on top of day-to-day challenges.