As treatment for many cancers continues to dramatically improve outcomes and longevity for countless patients, an ever-growing group of cancer survivors face the challenge of navigating their next chapter. The end of treatment is not the end of the cancer experience and formal survivorship programs are now an important phase of continued care and support.
Endeavor Health survivorship experts Carol A. Rosenberg, MD, an Director of the Myra Rubenstein Weis (MRW) Living in the Future (LIFE) Cancer Survivorship Program at Endeavor Health, and Lisa Stucky-Marshall, APRN, Survivorship Program Coordinator at Endeavor Health, highlight the benefits of personalized survivorship care and educational offerings.
“Survivorship care helps take patients out of the whirlwind they’ve been experiencing and transition to their new normal,” said Stucky-Marshall.
Many patients have little to no time to actually process what they’re going through just keeping up with appointments and trying to get through treatment. Once treatment is complete it’s vital to have resources to address everything from psychological issues and stress management to nutrition and other practical concerns to regain control in their lives.
"Survivorship programs are important because they create a bridge for continued care, helping survivors transition from the intensity of the oncology treatment environment back to their communities, families and primary care physicians and specialists while maintaining a connection with the oncology team,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
The MRW LIFE program offers a personalized survivorship plan unique to each patient’s cancer and specific treatment as well as navigation to appropriate specialists and ongoing educational seminars and external resources. The programming is driven by research findings and assessment surveys to ensure that patients’ biggest concerns are being met.
“More than 70% of breast cancer survivors seen in the MRW clinic in recent years expressed fear of recurrence, long-term effects of treatment, cancer prevention/early detection and nutrition/physical activity as their biggest concerns,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
Sexuality and cognitive concerns were also identified by some survivors. The MRW LIFE Evenings of Survivorship educational curricula address these concerns with virtual presentations by experts, including: “Managing Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Progression,” “Improving Intimacy and Sexual Function During and After Cancer and its Treatment,” “Nutrition Myth Busters,” “Empowering Cancer Survivors in their Daily Life with Occupational Therapy Techniques” and more.
Stucky-Marshall concurs that fear of recurrence is often a primary issue faced by survivors. “Counseling can help patients move forward to live their lives again and not remain in a state of fear and anxiety that can impact their quality of life,” she said. Connecting patients to resources like counseling and support groups can make a huge difference.
Patients are often surprised by how much time they receive in a survivorship visit, and are grateful for the opportunity to ask questions and learn how to access other resources.
The survivorship educational seminars and support groups offered through Endeavor Health are all free to patients and their families. “Helping patients and their family members adapt to this new normal is important,” added Stucky-Marshall.
Local cancer wellness institutions are also a great resource and provide a multitude of support groups and activities for survivors and their families, said both Dr. Rosenberg and Stucky-Marshall.
