A Bold Step to Transform Care for Younger Cancer Patients
Cancer in people under 50 is on the rise, and this shift calls for a redesigned care model that addresses the unique needs of early-onset patients. The approach should include early fertility counseling, universal genomic testing to uncover genetic drivers, robust survivorship support, and community education on early detection and screening. In response to this trend, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) has unveiled the BRIDGE Program. This initiative aims to coordinate care across cancer types, setting a new standard tailored specifically to younger patients’ needs.
“Traditional programs tend to separate clinical excellence, advocacy, and research by cancer type,” explains Sara Myers, MD, PhD, a surgical scientist at OSUCCC – James who co-leads BRIDGE with John Alexander, MD. “Our program weaves these elements into one unified framework so patients receive comprehensive support throughout their entire cancer journey, not just during isolated treatment moments.”
BRIDGE is positioned as a flagship effort under the leadership of W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, who was named chief executive officer of OSUCCC – James in May 2025. Rathmell, who previously directed early-onset cancer initiatives at the National Cancer Institute, believes Myers and Alexander are crafting a program with the potential to reshape cancer care and outcomes for young people nationwide.
Rathmell estimates a five-year, $20 million investment is required to build BRIDGE. The funding would support new clinical services and staff, plus a competitive grants program designed to spur scientific discoveries in young adult and early-onset cancers.
Closing gaps in care
The care component of BRIDGE will center on the needs of individuals aged 18 to 50, regardless of where they enter treatment. Today, services are often delivered on a case-by-case basis by disease-specific teams. The new model will offer enrollment to all patients in the 18–50 range, ensuring that essential services such as fertility counseling and genomic testing are offered early in the treatment journey.
Rathmell describes BRIDGE as an umbrella framework that links together existing efforts at OSUCCC – James for younger patients—such as the Adolescent and Young Adult Program, the Immunotherapy Management Clinic, and JamesCare for Life—so the entire patient is supported, not just the cancer.
Care coordinators will serve as early points of contact, coordinating referrals to age-appropriate resources and maintaining ongoing connections between patients and their treatment teams.
Many young patients are juggling cancer with developing careers or raising children. BRIDGE will deliver thorough, meaningful support to streamline the experience and improve outcomes. Timely cancer screening saves lives, but so does identifying cancers early and coordinating research to uncover why rates are rising among young adults, so we can reduce risk. Tackling this growing clinical challenge—and the scientific puzzle behind it—will require research.
— W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, CEO, OSUCCC – James
Driving research on early-onset cancers
The BRIDGE Program will also fund a competitive pilot research grant program, managed by the OSUCCC – James Intramural Research Program and financed by Pelotonia. The two-year pilot grants will support cross-disease investigations into tumor biology, genetics, and outcomes for younger patients, with a peer-reviewed, competitive process. In the program’s first year, up to three early-onset cancer projects may receive support.
A catalyst for high-risk ideas
As Rathmell notes, advancing truly innovative, out-of-the-box research often depends on initial funding to collect data. Pilot grants provide researchers with seed money to test hypotheses and generate data that can attract larger funding down the line. BRIDGE aims to spark such ideas and move them forward.
National trends and local impact
The National Cancer Institute has reported rising rates of colon, breast, uterine, and kidney cancers among people under 50, with the sharpest increases in the 20–29 age group. While cancer rates among Ohio’s residents over 50 have stayed flat or declined, younger Ohioans have seen increases of up to 20% in recent years.
Rathmell emphasizes that this trend cannot be managed with traditional approaches alone. Myers and Alexander were motivated by patients they care for in practice and have proposed a program designed to involve patients in building the initiative from the ground up. The goal is to create a model that engages OSUCCC – James, the broader university, and the local community to effect lasting change for younger adult cancers.
Learn more about BRIDGE
For information on OSUCCC – James BRIDGE clinical services, visit cancer.osu.edu/bridge-program or call 1-800-293-5066. Details about BRIDGE pilot research funding are at cancer.osu.edu/irp. Applications for 2026 pilot grants are due in January 2026, with awards beginning in July 2026.
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