Survivorship Care Planning
The roadmap to "a new normal" of moving forward with living for the patient and their family. Studies have shown that putting such a plan in place enhances survival.
Survivorship Care Planning after treatment involves the oncologist, the oncology care team, the patient, and their family/caregivers who have been supporting them throughout the treatment phase.
Introduction to Survivorship Care Planning
Survivorship care planning is a process that helps cancer survivors in transitioning from active treatment to post-treatment care. It involves the creation of a written or digital document that outlines the care a cancer survivor received and the plan for follow-up care.
The plan is created by healthcare professionals, typically oncologists or nurse practitioners, in collaboration with the patient and serves as a roadmap for the survivor's health journey after active cancer treatment.
This comprehensive document helps ensure coordination between the oncology team and primary care providers, addressing the unique health needs of cancer survivors as they navigate life after treatment.
Why Survivorship Care is Important
Survivorship care planning plays a crucial role in ensuring coordinated care following cancer treatment. Research indicates that comprehensive survivorship care is essential for addressing the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment, monitoring for cancer recurrence, and improving overall quality of life.
The Institute of Medicine recommends survivorship care plans for all cancer survivors to help patients transition from active treatment to post-treatment care. These plans provide a structured approach to managing ongoing physical and psychosocial effects, promoting regular follow-up care, and reducing unnecessary healthcare utilization.
With advancements in treatments, more people are surviving cancer than ever before. However, many survivors face challenges related to the aftereffects of treatment, emotional well-being, and navigating the healthcare system. A survivorship care plan addresses these issues in a comprehensive manner.
What Information Do I Need to Create a 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 chemotherapy, what medications were received?
- If you received radiation therapy, what type of cancer was this done for?
What Should I Do with the 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 were received or the techniques that were used to administer these therapies.
It is very important to review your plan of care with the oncology team to further clarify your risk.
Survivorship Care Planning Models
Various Sources for General Guidance:
Please visit the following sites to become acquainted with what will help you to navigate issues during treatment, as well as after treatment is completed. This information is helpful to discuss with your oncologist / medical care team.
Cancer.Net and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have put together wonderful, helpful guidance that will benefit you after treatment and enhance your survivorship through careful, ongoing connection with your oncology/medical care team.
The following link will take you to this important information:
Visit Cancer.Net Survivorship ResourcesCoping – Follow-Up Medical Care
National Cancer Institute Resources
Key Recommendation: Once you're done with cancer treatment, you should receive a follow-up cancer plan from your doctor. All cancer survivors should have follow-up care.
Visit NCI Follow-Up Care Resourceswww.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/survivorship/follow-up-care
Examples of Cancer Care Plans
The power of survivorship
Follow-up Care After Cancer Treatment | Cancer.Net
Follow-up Care After Cancer Treatment. ... of your follow-up care plan once treatment is ... information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology ...
Visit Cancer.Net Resourceswww.cancer.net/survivorship/follow-care-after-cancer-treatment/asco
An Updated Survivorship Care Planning Template
... the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released an updated cancer survivorship care planning template and resources for healthcare providers.
Visit Cancer Advocacyhttps://www.canceradvocacy.org/news/an-updated-survivorship-care