Information for Health Care Providers
Learn about tools that health care providers can use to conduct distress screening with cancer survivors in this video.
People are living longer after a cancer diagnosis because of advances in early detection and treatment. After completing treatment, survivors may encounter ongoing or future needs related to their cancer or its treatment.
Everyone is at risk of developing cancer. Yet, cancer survivors are at greater risk than people who have never had cancer. The recurrence (cancer at the same site) or second cancer (cancer at a different site) may be due to—
- The effects of treatment.
- Unhealthy behaviors.
- Underlying genetics.
- Risk factors that contributed to the first cancer.
Survivors also often face physical, emotional, psychosocial, and financial challenges as a result of their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Medical and public health professionals can help prepare survivors for the possible long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment on their physical and psychosocial well-being. They can also provide coordinated care and promote healthy behaviors.
Survivorship Care Plans
Survivorship care plans are documents given to patients at the end of their cancer treatment. They summarize the patient’s cancer and treatment history; potential long-term effects of cancer or its treatment; and recommended screening, surveillance, preventive care, and follow up. They also identify the health care providers responsible for different aspects of care.
Many survivors are lost to follow up after they complete cancer treatment. Survivorship care plans can help guide communication and coordinate care between survivors and the health care providers who are responsible for care after cancer treatment, so that they are not lost to follow up. Plans are now included in some programs designed to improve the quality of cancer care.
This simulation provides a safe and responsive learning environment for providers to practice effective communication techniques for discussing nutrition, physical activity, and obesity risk with cancer survivors.
Telementoring and patient navigation can improve care for cancer survivors in rural areas, where access to cancer care specialists is limited.
Obesity, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity contribute to about 40% of cancer cases in the United States and can negatively affect cancer treatment and survival. We offer tips for helping cancer survivors improve their health.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths. Cigarette smoking not only causes cancer, but also negatively affects cancer treatment and survival. We offer tips for helping cancer survivors quit tobacco use.
The Provider Education for Mental Health Care of Cancer Survivors Training was created to support health care providers, improve knowledge about cancer survivors’ mental health care, and promote recommended distress screening.
- Long-term Survivorship Care after Cancer Treatment: A Workshop (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)
- Still lost in transition? Perspectives of ongoing cancer survivorship care needs from comprehensive cancer control programs, survivors, and health care providers (PubMed Central)