Overview

Survivorship is defined as the experience of living with, through, and beyond cancer for both patients and the people in their lives who are impacted by the diagnosis. It comprises the physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, and economic aspects of life that may be influenced by cancer at any time from diagnosis through treatment and all remaining years of life. Although it may seem too early for you to be thinking about your life after treatment and long-term survivorship, now may be a good time to start putting together your survivorship care plan.

This plan should contain the results of diagnostic tests and information about the cancer and the treatment that was used. Eventually, it should list immediate and lasting side effects that you had, and a list of plans for follow-up care. Contact information for questions about the course of treatment should be listed, along with the name and contact information of the doctor who managed your care.

You should be familiar with the known long-term and late effects of treatment, signs and symptoms to watch for, and who to contact if they occur. Depending on your specific needs, your survivorship care plan may also include referrals to a fertility specialist, sex therapist, genetic counselor, or a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in working with cancer survivors.

Financial counselors, insurance information, and estate planning specialists may also be helpful in your particular situation.

Eventually, your care plan should also contain resources to help you adopt changes for a healthy lifestyle, such as community resources for fitness, exercise, and stress reduction programs, nutritional counseling, and smoking cessation programs designed for cancer survivors.