Survivorship Care Plan
Men treated for prostate cancer at the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's are provided a comprehensive Survivorship Care Plan when treatment is completed. This Care Plan is a review of the treatment administered, post-surgery pathology, recommended follow-up schedule, symptoms to report to doctor, and helpful online and community resources.
Why do you need a Survivorship Care Plan?
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) researched the state of care for cancer survivors and found that little guidance is available for survivors and their healthcare providers to overcome the medical and psychosocial problems that may arise post treatment. The IOM suggests that once a person has completed cancer therapy, he or she should be provided with a summary of the treatments received and a follow up "care plan". This care plan should summarize the following areas:
- Potential late effects.
- Symptoms and treatment.
- Recommendations for cancer screening (recurrence or new primary).
- Psychosocial effects (including relationships and sexuality/fertility).
- Financial issues (work, insurance and employment).
- Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.
- Genetic counseling (if appropriate).
- Effective prevention options.
- Referrals for follow-up care.
- Support resources.
Survivorship Care Plans are prepared by the patient navigator at the Prostate Cancer Center in close collaboration with your physician. The Care Plan is reviewed with you at your first follow-up visit after treatment has concluded. You will be asked to complete a Cancer Stress Assessment as part of your visit so psychosocial effects of your experience can be addressed.
Your surgeon will have already gone over your final pathology report with you but if you would like a copy of this report, please request it at this appointment and a copy will be provided for you at no additional charge. The following online resource offers an excellent explanation for helping you better understand your pathology report.
The Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's uses the Journey Forward Survivorship Care Plan Builder. This is an online tool that assists your medical team in compiling your Survivorship Care Plan. Journey Forward offers other resources for people who are completing active treatment for cancer. Resources include:
- Nutrition and Physical Activity During and After Cancer Treatment
- Sexuality for the Man with Cancer: An extensive guide to issues relating to sexuality and erectile dysfunction after cancer and cancer treatment.
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Following PSA levels after treatment meant to cure prostate cancer.
- Online support: 25 different support groups online that connect you with other people facing similar issues. All of our support groups are led by professional oncology social workers and are completely free of charge.
- CoPay Assistance: People undergoing treatment for prostate cancer who have health insurance coverage can receive up to $5,000 per year to help with out-of-pocket co-payments through the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation.
- Telephone Education Programs: Connect® Education Workshops are a way for people to learn about cancer-related issues from the convenience of their home or office. Leading experts in oncology provide the most up-to-date information on the telephone. These are interactive educational programs to help you and your loved ones better understand and cope with your diagnosis, treatment options, quality-of-life concerns, treatment side effects, pain management, doctor-patient communication and survivorship.
- Cancer Survivorship After Treatment
- Emotional Effects of Cancer
- Dating and New Relationships after Cancer
- Fear of Recurrence
- AfterEffects of Cancer Treatment
- Employment Discrimination After Cancer
- Male Sexual Dysfunction
- Urinary Incontinence
- Employment Law and Cancer
- Cancer and Health Insurance
- Cancer Survivorship After Treatment
- Suggestions for Dealing with AfterEffects of Cancer Treatment
- Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment includes sections on managing physical changes, body changes and intimacy, your feelings, and social and work relationships.
- Facing Forward: When Someone You Love Has Completed Cancer Treatment
- Facing Forward: Making a Difference in Cancer
- NIH Senior Health: Life After Cancer
- Physician Appointment List [30 KB]
- Physician List [30 KB]
- Medication List [136 KB]
- Family History of Cancer Record [29 KB]
- Chemotherapy History [29 KB]
- Radiation Therapy History [29 KB]
- Record of Hospitalizations and Surgeries [29 KB]
- Record of Radiology Studies [29 KB]
- Nutrition, Exercise and Prostate Cancer summarizes current data and information available in the research arena today. Newly revised in 2009, the guide can help everyone affected by or at risk for prostate cancer understand how to incorporate key nutritional and lifestyle strategies into their everyday life. (32 pages). Download Here>> Prostate Cancer Foundation.
- Annual Cancer Survivorship Conference held in the spring; advanced registration requested.
- Educational and support programs such as monthly Lunch and Learns, weekly gentle yoga classes, and other classes of interest to cancer survivors and their families; Free.
- Community support group list containing cancer support groups at area hospitals, churches and community centers in the Atlanta area and in communities around Georgia.
Resources included in your Survivorship Care Plan:
The American Cancer Society offers detailed information about prostate cancer and topics related to nutrition and physical activity after treatment, understanding recurrence, and other survivorship issues. Learn More>> Prostate Cancer Detailed Guide. Other informative articles include:
Lance Armstrong Foundation supports cancer survivorship through LIVESTRONG.ORG, however another entity developed by the Lance Armstrong Foundation is LIVESTRONG.COM, a practical resource for finding general health-related information from a wide variety of sources. NOTE: While LIVESTRONG.ORG remains a non-profit, LIVESTRONG.COM is a for-profit organization that derives its revenue from advertising and member subscriptions. A wealth of information is available on both websites relating to cancer survivorship. A few selected articles are listed below:
From LIVESTRONG.ORG:
From LIVESTRONG.COM:
The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is a free, self-learning audio program that has been developed by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and leading cancer organizations to help people develop important skills to better meet and understand the challenges of their illness. The program contains a set of basic skills to help navigate a diagnosis and special topics on key issues faced by people with cancer. It is given to newly diagnosed patients as well as those transitioning off treatment, used by patient navigators, offered in patient resource libraries, provided at survivorship programs and conferences, and listened to in a support group setting. On the NCCS website, you can read or listen to the Toolbox in English and Spanish, or download the files to read or listen later. Chinese transcripts are also available. You can order a free CD version of the program by filling out our online form or calling 877.NCCS.YES.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) offers many resources after prostate cancer treatment.
Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, offers information on your prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines including side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more. Browse dietary supplements and herbal remedies to learn about their effectiveness, usual dosage, and drug interactions. Learn More>> Drugs, Herbs and Supplements.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (A division of the National Institutes of Medicine) offers information on complementary and integrative medicine for alleviating side effects of cancer treatment, stress reduction, and overall quality of life. Other resources include:
OncoLink, a cancer support resource developed by the Abramson Cancer Center (University of Pennsylvania) offers many useful tools for organizing and managing cancer treatment, recovery, and life after cancer. Featured post-treatment articles include:
OncoLink also has a variety of helpful record-keeping logs (in pdf format) on their website that can be easily downloaded. The forms are designed to be printed and carried with you to appointments. You may want to start a binder or folder to keep them easily accessible and organized. As tests or therapies are completed, ask your nurse or doctor to record them on the chart. Available logs include:
The Prostate Cancer Foundation publishes a series of helpful guides as part of their commitment to connect men and their loved ones to the latest prostate cancer research information. Learn More>> Prostate Cancer Foundation.
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI) provides information as a free, educational resource to help patients understand their options to facilitate communication with their doctors and hopefully improve their outcomes.
Local Atlanta Resources:
Cancer Support Community (formerly The Wellness Community) is a a national non-profit organization offering supportive programs for cancer survivors and their families.
The Cancer Survivors' Network at Sant Joseph's Hospital is a resource hub for cancer survivors and their families in the Atlanta area. Programs include:
Contact Renee Sevy-Hasterok, LMSW, Patient Navigator at the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph’s at (678) 843-5665 or rsevy@sjha.org for more information about programs and services for cancer survivors at Saint Joseph's Hospital through the Cancer Survivors' Network.
Disclaimer: All links to other Web sites are provided solely as a convenience to our patients. If you use these links, you will leave the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's (PCC) Web site. The PCC is not responsible for any content, materials or other information located on or accessible from any linked site. PCC does not endorse, guarantee, or make any representation or warranties regarding any linked site, or any content, materials or other information location on or accessible from such linked site, or the results you may obtain from using such linked site. If you decide to access any linked site, you do so entirely at your own risk. You should review the policies and terms of use associated with any linked site closely before using or submitting information to the linked site.
Last Updated: March 14, 2011 (RSH)
