37% of Chai clients are under the age of 50, new report shows

New figures from the UK Jewish community’s leading cancer support organisation show that the need for its specialised services among younger people – starting from just 3 years old – is the highest its been since the organisation was set up in 1990.

According to Chai’s latest report, more than one in three clients are under the age of 50 – a staggering 37% (more than 1,500 people). The figure is in line with national statistics.

By comparison, 10 years ago it was 12%. Over the past year, Chai has supported more than 4,300 people.

Chai has also seen an increasing demand for supporting the loved ones of those diagnosed with cancer, including: children, parents, siblings and spouses.

Testicular cancer survivor Marc Rister, 29, was supported by the charity in 2023. A private banking specialist from Hertfordshire, he led a healthy lifestyle before his shocking diagnosis. During his treatment, he had counselling and reflexology at Chai. He was introduced to the organisation by his mother, who also used the counselling service after struggling with her son’s diagnosis.

Rister said: “The most important thing is to raise awareness. If cancer can happen to me – someone healthy, who exercises and does not drink, smoke or take drugs – it can happen to anyone. For anyone reading this, especially young men, it’s really important that we normalise checking ourselves regularly, talking about lumps we find, and most importantly, going to a doctor and getting it seen to. Getting treatment when I did, saved me months of additional intensive chemotherapy, and maybe even saved my life.”

Chai chief executive officer Lisa Steele said: “Despite significant advances in early diagnosis and treatment, we are witnessing a continued rise in the number of young people facing and living with cancer diagnoses each year, which sadly increases the demand for Chai’s services. At Chai, we understand that a cancer diagnosis impacts not just the individual but the entire family. We often find up to four generations within a single family, needing to turn us.”