Yale Early Onset Cancer Program

06/16/2026

The Early Onset Cancer Program's Co-Director, Dr. Veda Giri, recently talked with HealthQ on WPLN News - Nashville Public Radio about the rise in early onset cancers and how younger adults can take charge of their health:

Doctors weigh a patient’s personal risks, including their family history of cancer... Being vigilant about unusual body changes or symptoms — and reporting those to your physician — gives doctors the information they need to determine your personal risk for cancer.

“For example, a lump in the breast, abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits that really are not going away… blood in the stools… even symptoms such as unusual fatigue that doesn’t seem to go away. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿."

Read more in our https://wpln.org/post/healthq-early-onset-cancers/

Smilow Cancer Hospital

In the U.S., more than a dozen kinds of cancer are on the rise among people under 50. The HealthQ team shares the latest guidance on being proactive with your family and doctor.

06/09/2026

🚨New publication alert! 🚨

Jamie Reedy, Nancy Borstelmann, and Veda Giri from the Early Onset Cancer team recently published an article 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙚 50 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 in Frontiers Public Health: Early-Onset Cancers: Implications of Epidemiological Trends and Underlying Causes.

👀 Be sure to read our open-access (free) article to learn more about

*Screening for early onset cancer in adults under age 50
*Public health campaigns and national screening programs
*Critical challenges & facilitators to improved screening
*Key recommendations & strategies for cancer screening in younger adults.

✴ TL;DR ✴

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲
1. Know your family cancer history
2. Share your family cancer history with your doctor
3. Consider genetic testing if appropriate

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀
1. Discuss individual and family cancer history with all patients
2. Discuss appropriate risk assessments and genetic testing when indicated
3. Develop personalized, risk-based cancer screening plan for adults under age 50 based on established US guidelines

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀
1. Advance research on etiology, implementation, health behaviors, and health communication related to early onset cancers

𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, & 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀
1. Adapt national guidelines to incorporate new etiological research findings
2. Leverage emerging scientific evidence to advance payor coverage of risk-based cancer screening and genetic testing in adults under age 50
3. Develop multilingual and culturally-tailored resources for individuals and providers based on emerging health behavior and health communication research

https://bit.ly/EO-cancer-screening

05/29/2026

Yale's Early Onset Cancer Program will join the Fair Haven Community Health Care team for their 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 tomorrow!

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Saturday, May 30, from 12 pm - 4 pm

📍𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: 374 Grand Avenue in Fair Haven, CT

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁:
🩺 Health screenings
🥗 Wellness vendors
💬 Educational sessions
🎪 Family-friendly fun

Be sure to stop by the Early Onset Cancer Program's table and add to our community creative project: 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝

You can also learn more about:
🧬 Cancer in adults under age 50
🔬 Who should get cancer screenings & when
🚲 Steps for preventing cancer
🎗️ Support for younger adults diagnosed with early onset cancer @ Yale Cancer Center

Smilow Cancer Hospital Fair Haven Community Health Care

05/21/2026

Did you miss our recent webinar on Screening for Early Onset Cancer? The recording is now available on our YouTube channel linked below.

This important discussion explores the growing impact of early onset cancers and the role of screening in some of the most common cancers including early onset breast cancer and early onset gastrointestinal cancer. Our expert panel discusses factors to think about and strategies for screening.

We invite you to watch and share this valuable resource:

1 like. "Screening for Early Onset Cancers: What You Need to Know"

05/08/2026

Last weekend, the Early Onset Cancer team joined Discovery To Cure for their annual Beverly Levy Walk & Block Party, where our art therapist, Kamie Thornton, led a community art project: 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙊𝙋𝙀.

🧶Visitors who stopped by the Early Onset Cancer table were encouraged to choose a color of yarn that represented hope to them and then to weave it into our community loom. Our team enjoyed hearing many heartwarming stories of hope and resilience from visitors, and the final loom turned out beautiful!

The cancer journey can be tough, but a warm village helps make it a little easier. 💜
In Yale's Early Onset Cancer Program, our goal is to help patients, families, and supporters along this journey. Visit our website or reach out to us to learn more.

📲https://bit.ly/EO-Cancer-Yale
📧[email protected]

Gabriela Tapia
Smilow Cancer Hospital

05/02/2026

Yale's Early Onset Cancer Program will join Discovery To Cure for their annual Beverly Levy Walk & Block Party this Sunday!

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Sunday, May 3, from 10am - 2pm

📍𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Orange Fairgrounds, 525 Orange Center Road in Orange, CT

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁:
🎧 DJ
🎶 Live Music
🎤 Guest Speakers
💳 Shopping
🎪 Children’s Area
🚚 Food Trucks

Join us as Discovery to Cure raises funds for outreach, education, patient programming, and support for new research in gynecologic cancers at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital!

Be sure to stop by the Early Onset Cancer Program's table for a community art project: 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙊𝙋𝙀 with our art therapist, Kamie Thornton.

You can also learn more about cancer in adults under age 50, when to get screened, and steps for preventing early onset cancer.

Register at https://4agc.com/landing/walk

Smilow Cancer Hospital

04/30/2026

Recently, our own Dr. Veda Giri was invited to present at the American College of Physicians Annual Meeting on the importance of personalized, risk-based cancer screening for adults under age 50.

✨Raising public awareness and empowering people to discuss their personalized, risk-based cancer screening options with their doctor are key priorities of Yale's Early Onset Cancer Program and Smilow Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program.

💻 If you are interested in learning more about personalized, risk-based cancer screening under age 50, watch our new 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨: 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙊𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙨: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬

https://youtu.be/FUL3dYWq01M?si=LW7gTjcGVzK4H9v7

🎗We know that moving the needle on this challenge will require multilevel approaches, but we are committed to our mission of reducing the burden of early onset cancers!

Smilow Cancer Hospital

04/28/2026

Join us tomorrow night for expert insights on how family history, genetics, and risk factors can guide earlier and more personalized screening through our webinar, “Screening for Early Onset Cancers: What You Need to Know."

🗓 Tuesday, April 28
⏰ 6:00pm

Featuring presentations from our experts:
• Veda Giri, MD, Moderator
• Amy Wiegand, MS, CGC, genetic counselor
• Ellie Proussaloglou, MD, breast surgeon
• Thejal Srikumar, MD, MPH, GI medical oncologist

✅ Register: https://bit.ly/4129HDd

04/15/2026

"We tend to think of cancer as a disease that mainly affects older people, but an increasing number of diagnoses are happening amongst the young. What is behind this alarming rise? And can anything be done to prevent it? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores those questions and more with Laura Behnke, Dr. Veda Giri, and Dr. Shanthi Sivendran."

https://youtu.be/2WoFR_-0_lo?si=tmquGXqEsasy2g4V

👀 Watch this special PBS NewsHour episode to learn more about the rise in early onset cancer from our own, Dr. Veda Giri!

04/10/2026

🎗AYA Cancer Awareness Week and National Public Health Week🎗

Leading a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of cancer. Take these steps towards a healthy lifestyle:

✳️ Know your family cancer history and share it with your doctor
✳️ Discuss new or concerning symptoms with your doctor
✳️ Drink less alcohol and less often
✳️ Stay active. Each week, try to move your body for at least 2.5 hours
✳️ Eat more fruits & vegetables. Try to avoid ultraprocessed foods.
✳️ Avoid or stop using to***co products like smoking and va**ng
✳️ Stay current with cancer vaccinations, like for HPV.

Have more questions about early onset cancer? Drop us a comment or DM - we love sharing information and support. Be sure to follow us to stay up to date.

Find out more about Yale's Early Onset Cancer Program at https://bit.ly/EO-Cancer-Yale

Smilow Cancer Hospital