Survivorship Care Plans and the Commission on Cancer Standards: The Increasing Need for Better Strategies to Improve the Outcome for Survivors of Cancer

Abstract

Cancer Survivorship Committee, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Cancer Policy Forum, an important change about survivorship care was made.Within the updated standard, there is no longer a requirement about achieving a threshold percentage of individuals receiving survivorship care plans (SCPs) for programs (Table 1). 1 An emphasis instead is placed on the importance of a robust survivorship program composed of a team of physicians, advance practice providers, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, physical therapists, and other allied health professionals who will help develop and implement a survivorship program to meet the needs of patients with cancer who are treated with curative intent.The CoC standard 4.8 requires a survivorship coordinator who will report to the cancer committee.The standard program will document a minimum of 3 services that are offered each year to better support patients, with a focus on enhancing existing and developing new services.Services include but are not limited to providing treatment summaries or SCPs, seminars for survivors, rehabilitation services, or nutritional and psychological services.Although SCPs are encouraged, they are not required.In addition, knowing that survivorship care continues across the lifespan, there is no specified time period for SCP delivery or survivorship care.