Why is cancer survivorship care important?

The good news for cancer survivorship is that the numbers are growing, with an estimated 17 million survivors living in the United States alone. Unfortunately, cancer treatments are not without consequence and these survivors are dealing with the long-term effects of treatments with little guidance. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) researched the state of care for cancer survivors and found that little guidance is available for survivors and their healthcare providers to overcome the medical and psychosocial problems that may arise post treatment.

The IOM suggests that once a person has completed cancer therapy, he or she should be provided with a summary of the treatments received and a follow up "care plan". This care plan should summarize the potential late effects, their prevention, symptoms, and treatment, recommendations for cancer screening; psychosocial effects, financial issues, recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, genetic counseling, referrals for follow-up care and a list of support resources. While this plan is extremely important, the resources required to create it have made it hard to incorporate into practice.

What information do I need to create a cancer survivorship care plan?

The OncoLife™ Survivorship Care Plan is a "survivorship care plan" that is individualized based on the answers you provide in a brief questionnaire. In order to develop the most accurate plan of care, you may need to talk to your oncology team to have some details of your cancer therapy available:

• Type of cancer
• If you underwent surgery, what procedures were done?
• If you received medications (chemo, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, etc.), what medications did you get?
• If you received radiation therapy, what type of cancer was this done for?

What should I do with my survivorship care plan?

This care plan is meant for you to review and discuss with your healthcare team (both oncology and primary care). Keep in mind that every case is different and the risks of some side effects vary based on the actual dose of radiation or chemotherapy that you got or the techniques that were used to give these therapies. It is very important to review your care plan with your oncology team to further clarify your risk.

What if I survived a childhood cancer?

The OncoLife™ Survivorship Care Plan program is designed for survivors of adult cancers. Childhood cancer survivors have been studied in greater detail and much more is known about the late effects of treatment during childhood development. The Children's Oncology Group website is a wonderful resource for survivors of childhood cancers. In addition, childhood cancer survivors should encourage their healthcare team to review the extensive guidelines for long-term care developed by the Children's Oncology Group.