At the end of treatment, cancer patients can feel relieved that the stresses and side effects are over. But very often they feel lost, uncertain, afraid that regular scrutiny from their oncologists has ended and that something important may be missed.
The Cancer Survivorship Program at the Loyola University Medical Center is among programs designed to ease those fears and protect the overall health of cancer survivors as they move into the future. Read the rest of this entry »
Cancer survivors who have lived at least five years past their diagnosis are more than twice as likely to say their lives are extremely stressful than people who never had cancer. They report psychological stress that is severe enough to cause problems functioning at work, in school, or in social situations. Read the rest of this entry »
Colon and rectal cancer survivors who meet Canadian public exercise guidelines have better quality of life and less fatigue. However, only 1 in 4 survivors reported they were actively exercising.
More than 400 colon and rectal cancer survivors in Canada answered questions about their exercise, quality of life, and fatigue. Those who were exercising at the level recommended by guidelines reported significantly better quality of life. They also had less fatigue. Read the rest of this entry »
Once your planned treatment for colon or rectal cancer is over you’ll probably have conflicting feelings. While it’s great not to have to sit in the infusion chair or deal with nausea or diarrhea, you may be unexpectedly sad, at loose ends, or frightened of what lies ahead. You may feel that you have been cut loose from the system that was supporting you with no idea of what will happen next.
There are things that you and your health team can do to ease your worries and increase your chances for long-term survival.
Before you finish active treatment, make sure you have a survivorship plan in writing from your doctor that includes:
In addition, you need to have a plan for lifetime health and wellness
From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition
The transition from active treatment to post-treatment care is critical to long-term health. If care is not planned and coordinated, cancer survivors re left without knowledge of their heightened risks and a follow-up plan of action. However, such a plan is essential so that routine follow-up visits become opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle, check for cancer recurrence, and manage lasting effects of the cancer experience.
Institute of Medicine
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has an audio module in their Cancer Survivor Toolbox called Living Beyond Cancer. You can either listen to it online or download it. The module is about two hours long. You can also order a CD of the entire Toolbox.
The Institute of Medicine developed a comprehensive report From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition. You can read it free online, download the Executive Summary, or purchase a copy of the entire report.
A video of the IOM report is also helpful in understand needs of cancer survivors after their care is completed including survivor stories of cancer’s emotional impact.
The National Cancer Institute publishes Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment which can be read online or ordered from NCI.
