Survivorship Care

With improvements in early detection and better treatments, we are seeing more people survive cancer than ever before. Today, millions of people are living life beyond cancer. Even after treatment ends, cancer can still impact your life. Questions come up about moving into life beyond the disease and its treatment. You may wonder how to navigate this new stage, from handling fears that your cancer could return, to being intimate with another person, or whether it’s safe to exercise like you used to. It’s natural to be unsure of what’s next. Cancer survivorship is a complex time. There's a lot of transition, change, and adjusting. It’s a time when you and the people who care about you learn to adapt to the “new normal” that comes after a cancer diagnosis. 

What is cancer survivorship?

A cancer survivor is anyone who has ever been told they have cancer. It begins on the day of diagnosis and lasts the rest of their life. That’s why we offer support and guidance from the beginning of your cancer journey through the end of treatment and into follow-up care. It is all focused on your best health.

Follow-up care

It’s important for cancer survivors to have a primary care provider (PCP). Please continue to see your PCP for all general health care recommendations for a person your age, including cancer screening tests and regular health check-ups. In addition, you will still have follow-up appointments with your cancer care team (medical, surgical, and/or radiation oncologists). These are needed to check for side effects, any signs of returning cancer, or signs of a second cancer. Keep all your appointments.

There are many types of symptoms that may show up if cancer has returned, and it depends on each person, the kind of cancer you were treated for, and the kind of treatment you’ve had. Any new, worsening, and/or unusual symptoms that last longer than a few weeks, should be brought to the attention of your health care team. 

Survivorship Care Plans

It’s important to have basic information about the cancer treatment you received so you can share it with any new healthcare provider you may see. One way to keep the important details about treatment in an organized way is by using a folder or binder to hold key items of information such as: 

• Your cancer type, stage, grade and tumor markers
• Contact information for the healthcare team involved in your treatment and follow-up care 
• Types of treatment and doses you received, including:
  • all surgeries
  • names and doses of all cancer fighting drugs (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, etc.)
  • radiation therapy (body area treated and total amount of radiation received)
  • dates of treatment
• Any problems that occurred during or after treatment
• Recommendations for future testing and monitoring of your health

There are templates available online to help organize this information in a single document, called a survivorship care plan. For help creating your own survivorship care plan, you can visit: ASCO Survivorship Care Plans. 

Long term effects of treatment

Cancer treatment may leave long-term physical side effects, which may include: fatigue, trouble sleeping, hot flashes, trouble remembering or staying focused (chemobrain), weight changes, pain, numbness in your hands or feet (neuropathy), sexual side effects and others. Ask your healthcare team about uncomfortable side effects, as there may be ways to ease them.

Emotional Health

For some people, emotions that were put aside during cancer treatment come flooding back all at once, and they feel overwhelmed. Your mind, body and spirit may be tired. Fear of cancer coming back and lingering side effects of treatment can be difficult to deal with emotionally. You may be finding it hard to relate to family and friends, who may not understand what you’re going through, or know what to do or say to you. You may experience new challenges with intimacy and romantic relationships. It’s not uncommon for people to feel stressed about returning to work or dealing with the financial costs of cancer treatment. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. If you are feeling sad, depressed, or isolated, getting help and communicating is key. Talk to your healthcare team if you’re struggling with any of the above.

Thriving beyond cancer

• Maintain a healthy body weight by eating well and moving your body. 
• Eat a healthy diet with mostly plant foods (like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes such as beans). Basing a diet on plant foods, which contain fiber and other nutrients, reduces our risk of cancer.
• Adopt a physically active lifestyle. Aim to be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day by adding activities like walking into your daily routine and limit sedentary habits such as watching television.
• Limit your alcohol intake; no more than 2 drinks a day a few times per week for men, and no more than 1 drink a day a few times per week for women.
• Quitting tobacco is the best thing you can do for your health.
• Protect your skin from the sun by wearing hats or other clothing and using sunscreen.