By Peg Zimmerman, RN, OCN, Community Cancer Center
Cancer survivorship begins the moment a patient is diagnosed with cancer. The term survivorship includes those who are in some form of treatment as well as those who have completed cancer therapy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are nearly 14 million Americans living with cancer today. People are living longer, stronger lives after a diagnosis of cancer than ever before. The number of cancer survivors is increasing due to many factors, including advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The impact of cancer on patients, family members, friends, and caregivers are also acknowledged as part of survivorship. One of the goals of providing a survivorship care plan is to improve the care for this growing population of survivors.
A survivorship care plan is a roadmap that guides the patient from active treatment to surveillance or monitoring. As a patient is completing their cancer treatment, an oncology nurse or nurse practitioner is likely preparing a survivorship care plan for that patient. The care plan contains pertinent information in a format that will be useful to the patient. It’s a map that shows what has happened in the past and what should happen in the future.
It’s important for patient’s to be engaged in their care. Survivors need to be aware of the drugs, dosages, and radiation treatment fields used to treat their cancer in the unfortunate event they develop a secondary malignancy or recurrence. The treatment received in the past may affect the treatment they receive in the future.
The survivorship care plan is an important part of delivering patient-centered care. Included in the care plan is a comprehensive treatment summary. If a patient received chemotherapy, the drug class and cumulative dose of chemotherapy will be included in the care plan. If the patient received radiation therapy, the radiation field, the number of treatments, and the cumulative dose of radiation will be included in the care plan. It may also include the patient’s surgical history as it relates to cancer treatment.
Not only does the care plan contain a summary of the cancer treatment the patient received, it also includes other valuable information. The patient’s specific diagnosis and staging, recommended follow-up and surveillance, education on short-term and long-term side effects, and symptoms of recurrence are all important tools as one adjusts to their “new normal.” The care plan may also contain suggestions for promoting healthy behaviors, such as smoking cessation, diet and exercise, and the supportive resources available to them. Living a healthy lifestyle is a core standard of care for cancer survivors.
Being diagnosed with cancer changes one’s life forever. The health care team’s ultimate goal is to ensure that their patients survive and thrive after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Survivors live with cancer then, they live through cancer — the survivorship care plan assists patients in living beyond cancer.
The Community Cancer Center offers a variety of supportive and educational groups and programs, free of charge, to help patients and families cope with cancer and its effects. For more information go to our website at www.cancercenter.org.
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