Thanks to continued advances in cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the ranks of those surviving the disease are growing, creating a burgeoning new population of survivors with special needs. Often, individuals with cancer and their families are so focussed on overcoming the disease that the challenges experienced after treatment are not adequately anticipated or addressed. In an effort to provide this group with much needed information and support, Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Cancer Survivorship Program has created a comprehensive listing of survivorship information and resources in the Living Beyond Cancer section of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's redesigned Web site.
"This section is intended to be a trusted source of accurate information for individuals who have completed therapy, whenever they need it -- immediately after treatment or years later," says Mary McCabe, RN, MA, Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
Survivor Support
Life changes after a cancer diagnosis. To help survivors deal with these changes, the Living Beyond Cancer Web pages begin with a Support section, which helps survivors address the practical and emotional concerns that are often experienced during and after cancer treatment. Professionally led support groups allow survivors to learn helpful coping tips, while providing them with the chance to meet and talk with other survivors. These pages include information about support groups at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and at other organizations such as LIVESTRONG™ and CancerCare.
Just as each cancer patient's cancer is unique, each survivor deals with the difficulties surrounding a cancer diagnosis and treatment in his or her own way. And these issues are not exclusively the domain of cancer patients. Each patient's family and friends also are affected. Counseling -- in an individual, a family, or a group setting -- is one way to address these concerns, and the Counseling section of the Living Beyond Cancer Web pages includes information about the many forms of counseling available at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, each designed to meet an individual's specific needs. In addition, this section includes information and links to our smoking cessation services.
Also included in the Support section of the new Living Beyond Cancer pages are links to other Web sites that provide practical assistance to the family and friends of cancer survivors, as well as online resources that address the emotional, social, and practical concerns of survivors -- from issues concerning body image and dating to fear of recurrence and depression.
Health Issues
In some cases, cancer treatment may result in effects that can be felt for years after the treatment has been completed. It is important for survivors, with the aid of their oncology team, working in coordination with their primary care physicians, to be able to manage the array of physical and psychological challenges. These may include issues involving fertility and reproductive health, sexual health, and the increased risk of treatment-induced cancers. In response to these needs, the Health Issues section of the Living Beyond Cancer Web pages includes links to Memorial Sloan-Kettering's clinics for survivors of both childhood and adult-onset cancer. Also featured is a section that helps survivors and their loved ones to manage the ongoing and late effects of cancer and its treatment, and a section discussing our sexual health resources and services, as well as our specialized fertility preservation programs. Finally, the section finishes with a link to the Clinical Genetics Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, which offers hereditary cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling.
In the Healthy Living pages of Living Beyond Cancer, survivors and their loved ones will find screening services and resources, which can be important in the detection of secondary cancers. Also included is a section on nutrition, providing helpful information for cancer patients and survivors who may be faced with issues related to proper diet, weight management, and possible changes in appetite and taste. The section concludes with a page describing complementary therapies, which can be used to help to manage symptoms and promote a sense of well-being, and another link to our smoking cessation resources.
Research, Information Resources, and More
As the number of cancer survivors grows, researchers increasingly investigate interventions designed to help them understand, prevent, and reduce the unique challenges survivors face. The Survivorship Research section includes listings of survivorship research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and elsewhere, along with an update of survivorship research news. The many information and education resources available outside of Memorial Sloan-Kettering are discussed, and links appear within the Information Resources section of the Living Beyond Cancer pages. This section also includes a Memorial Sloan-Kettering survivor events calendar, and a Survivorship Guide that addresses questions cancer survivors often ask once they complete cancer treatment.
"Taken together, the contents of the new Living Beyond Cancer pages, www.mskcc.org/livingbeyondcancer, provide a 'one-stop' clearinghouse for cancer survivor information and are a reflection of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's desire to enhance the lives of cancer survivors everywhere," says Ms. McCabe.
