Survivorship

 


At the Center for Cancer Care at Exeter Hospital, in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, we strive to provide the best care possible to all our patients from the time of diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond. We recognize that the journey doesn’t end when treatment ends, but rather continues through the rest of a patient’s life. Our goal is to help provide patients with the tools they need to successfully navigate this journey.

The end of treatment can be a difficult time for patients who have become used to the frequent visits and oversight from their care team. Often patients will express anxiety and uncertainty at this time. The goal of the survivorship program is to help relieve some of those fears by providing clear information on next steps, what to watch for, who to call, and most importantly to provide patients with tools and resources to help them take back control of their health and wellness.

What is “Survivorship”

The term survivorship means living with, through, and beyond cancer. According to the National 
Cancer Institute, survivorship “focuses on the health and well-being of a person with cancer from the
time of diagnosis until the end of life. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, social and financial effects of cancer that begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment and beyond.” The
survivorship experience includes issues related to follow-up care, late effects of treatment, cancer
recurrence, second cancers and quality of life.

The survivorship visit is a one on one visit with an oncology nurse practitioner (or other appropriate care provider). A personalized survivorship care plan will be prepared for you detailing your diagnosis, treatment and follow-up plan. It will also include lifestyle recommendations and useful resources as well as things to contact your care team about. The visit will give you an opportunity to ask questions about your follow-up and discuss issues that may be affecting you. The Survivorship team will help connect you with the appropriate specialists and resources that fit your individual needs.


Survivor Resources