Survivorship

In the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis, women typically experience significant deterioration in their overall quality of life (QOL), but a program that connects new patients with breast cancer survivors following diagnosis seems to halt the decline.

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of cancer survivors (N = 237) attending an annual cancer survivors’ day organized by a community cancer center.

With 11.7 million cancer survivors in the United States, the role of navigation in survivorship is growing. As our population ages, navigators will need to focus on the specific needs of the older and elderly patients they navigate through survivorship care.

In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the “Cancer Survivors— United States, 2007” report.

Breast cancer accounts for 1 in every 3 cancers diagnosed in American women today. About 155,000 women are living with metastatic breast cancer in the United States, and this number is expected to increase to 162,000 in 2011.

Cancer survivors are living longer and, with more than one-third of the American population experiencing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, it is critical to focus attention on the long-term needs of survivors.

Outcomes from the roundtable held in conjunction with the George Washington Cancer Institute Cancer Survivorship Research and Health Disparities Symposium have far-reaching implications that will impact clinical practice and how we, as clinicians, address cancer survivorship care in the future.

Patients coping with the stresses of cancer can experience depressive symptoms, with an estimated 22% to 29% of newly diagnosed patients experiencing major depressive disorder (MDD; Raison CL, Miller AH. Biol Psychiatry. 2003;54:283-294).

Most studies on survivorship and employment have focused on older patients, have not followed patients more than 2 years after diagnosis, or have been limited to one disease site. To extend knowledge on work patterns of survivors, Moran and colleagues studied prime-age (28-54 years) male and female survivors of all types of cancers.

With 12 million cancer survivors in the United States and looming shortages of oncologists and PCPs [primary care physicians], the needs of cancer survivors can fall through the cracks,” stated Katherine S. Virgo, PhD, MBA, director of health services research at the American Cancer Society, during a presentation at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The number of US cancer survivors hovers around 12 million today and is projected to grow to 20-million-plus by 2020, creating a critical need for focused patient navigation–oriented strategies for said survivors.

As a result of early detection and advances in treatment, there are more than 12 million cancer survivors in the United States today, and that number will continue to grow. While this is a cause for celebration, it also highlights the increasing need for programs to address the challenges survivors face and provide them with the best quality of life.

Andy Miller, MHSE, CHES, Vice President of Mission for LIVESTRONG, delivered the advocacy keynote address at our second annual AONN Navigation and Survivorship Con ference in September.

The path to a survivorship program includes key elements to ensure a successful and sustainable program. At Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) we implemented these fundamentals in the development of our breast survivorship program.

Opinions are varied regarding how “survivorship” should be defined by patients and oncology specialists.

Healthcare professionals want to ensure that every patient receives quality care throughout the continuum of their cancer illness.

According to data released by the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 11.7 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2007, and these numbers continue to grow.

Recognizing the value of psychological support throughout cancer survivorship and implementing worthwhile programs to address psychosocial needs of cancer survivors are increasingly important considerations in the development of a cancer survivorship program.

The number of cancer survivors is estimated at 13.5 million, and the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) requires cancer survivorship care plans that include details regarding patients’ disease and treatments.

In response to the Institute of Medicine report in 2005, “From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition,” the Norton Cancer Institute call to action was to develop a Survivorship program dedicated to cancer patients who had completed active therapy. Dr Sheron Williams, a medical oncologist, started the program in 2006.

Ms Waddington discussed survivorship trends, various recommendations and model survivorship programs, and options for survivorship care plans.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with a past diagnosis of cancer, whether diagnosed in childhood or in young adulthood, face consequences from the disease and its treatment.

More than 40% of individuals born today will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime.

Although planning for survivorship care is recognized as an important part of the continuum of cancer care, end-of-treatment summaries (TSs) and survivorship care plans (SCPs) are not universally provided to cancer patients, even at centers of excellence. That situation is about to change over the next few years, however, because the Commission on Cancer (CoC) says that these plans will be mandatory by 2015.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer! We are now even closer to our 4th Annual AONN Conference in Memphis. I am hoping to see you there. We have a great lineup of experts to empower you with new knowledge and practical tools to make your navigation role better than ever—for you and for your patients!

A review of the literature was done to evaluate the current evidence regarding the barriers that influence the transition of care in cancer survivorship and impact patient quality of life (QOL) and health outcomes.

Lisa A. Raedler, PhD, RPh, shares best practices for facilitating compliance with new Commission on Cancer Standards 3.1 and 3.3.