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Posted by on Apr 8, 2013 in Colorectal cancer | 0 comments

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In a nutshell

This article published in 2013 is written by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).  It discusses the need for a comprehensive care program for cancer survivors.  They also look at how this care program should be available for all survivors irrespective of what cancer treatment they received or what type of cancer they had.

Some background

The number of cancer survivors increases every year. To date in the United States this number is 13 million, and this is expected to reach 18 million by 2022.  To date, in the United States, this number is 13 million, and this is expected to reach 18 million by 2022.  The number of survivors is increasing due to the availability of new treatments and earlier detection of primary and metastatic tumours. As a result, future health complications that survivors may experience can vary.
 
A survey carried out in 2004 of ASCO members showed that three quarters of oncologists thought they should be involved with the ongoing care of survivors due to lasting effects of treatments both physically and mentally.  However, the majority of survivors receive care from primary care providers.

Methods & findings

This article discusses initiatives in the delivery of the quality of survivorship care by the Cancer Survivor Committee formed by the ASCO in 2011. The committee is focused on providing education along with educational resources and tools for survivors, oncologists and primary care teams. They also want to collect patient data from clinical trials; this type of data can indicate which treatment methods and medications were more effective for each cancer type.

Colorectal cancer, if detected in an early stage, may be cured with surgery. These patients will need regular follow up to make sure the cancer does not reoccur. Long term survival of other patients may need more healthcare support as a result of side effects of cancer treatment. Patients who had large amounts of their bowels removed may have problems with faecal incontinence.  

 
Additionally, this article stresses the need for comprehensive funding for survivors through medical insurance, with appropriate reimbursement to cover all aspects of survivorship care.
 

The bottom line

Overall, this paper highlights the need for a diversified and comprehensive healthcare for all cancer patients following curative treatment.

Published By :

Journal of clinical oncology

Date :

Jun 18, 2013

Original Title :

American Society of Clinical Oncology Statement: Achieving High-Quality Cancer Survivorship Care

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