Survivorship & Support

	Flash Player is required to view this video. Karen Greene, a seven-year survivor of metastatic bladder cancer Presented at the 2007 Annual Cancer Survivorship Celebration Runtime: 4 minutes

An important part of a patient's treatment plan is a schedule of follow-up exams and tests to monitor whether or not the cancer has returned or if a new cancer has developed. If a patient has not had his or her bladder removed, the doctor will examine the bladder using a cystoscope. Post-treatment care may also include a urine cytology, x-rays, and routine blood tests.

Other Aspects of Survivorship

To help patients manage other issues that may come up after treatment ends, Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers a wide range of programs for cancer patients, including the following:

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Counseling Center

  Our Counseling Center offers individual and family counseling sessions to help patients and their families address the problems that they may encounter in adjusting to life during and after treatment.

• Living Beyond Cancer

  People facing the challenges of cancer survivorship can access a variety of support services through the Living Beyond Cancer section of our Web site. This section includes information about professionally led support groups and counseling; survivorship clinics to manage late effects of cancer and its treatment; recommendations about screening and healthy living; and specialized services to address sexual and reproductive health. We also offer a range of resources to help survivors, families, and friends better understand the complex emotional and social issues following treatment.

  Additional services are offered through our Post-Treatment Resource Program, which provides a full range of educational support services, including individual and family counseling, periodic lectures or workshops to provide medical updates, and practical guidance on employment and insurance issues.

• Integrative Medicine Service

  Our Integrative Medicine Service is designed to enhance cancer patients' quality of life through healing regimens that address the body, mind, and spirit. Beneficial complementary therapies include various types of massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, meditation, visualization, and other mind-body therapies; music therapy; nutritional counseling; and classes such as yoga, t'ai chi, and chair aerobics.

• Screening & Wellness

  Memorial Sloan-Kettering provides numerous prevention, screening, and wellness services. Information about these services and guidance on how to stop smoking and how to follow a healthy diet can be found on our Web site in our Prevention & Screening section.

• Rehabilitation Therapy

  For patients with bladder cancer, rehabilitation therapy provides a means to improve function and mobility after surgery or chemotherapy. Memorial Sloan-Kettering's physical therapists evaluate each patient's functional needs shortly after surgery or hospitalization and design an individualized treatment and exercise plan. After chemotherapy, radiation, or abdominal surgery for bladder cancer, a patient may notice changes in his or her range of motion, strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Occupational therapists educate patients about these changes and about adaptive equipment and compensatory techniques that can increase their independence during their daily routines. See Rehabilitation for further information about our services, including appointment information.

• Help for the Older Cancer Patient

  A diagnosis of cancer is difficult at any age, but older patients face unique challenges. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is committed to providing cancer patients aged 65 and older with the treatment, facilities, and support they need.

  Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers the services of a multidisciplinary geriatric team, which includes physicians, clinical nurse specialists, social workers, nutritionists, and psychiatrists, as well as members of the Pain and Palliative Care Department and the Integrative Medicine Service. The programs and care the team provides focus on the needs of elderly cancer patients.

  For more information about our services for older patients as well as for their family and friends, visit the Help for the Older Patient section of our Web site.