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Alfano C et al. Involving cancer survivors in self-management. Presented at: Cancer Center Survivorship Research Forum (virtual meeting); 15.-16. April 2021.

Disclosure:
Howell and Sadak do not report any relevant financial information. Spears reports on an advisory role at Pfizer Inc.

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Promoting and supporting self-management in cancer survivors is an essential part of successful follow-up, according to a session during the Virtual Cancer Center Survivorship Research Forum.

“Self-management is such an important skill in educating and nourishing our cancer survivors, and in my role as a pediatric oncologist, I see this in so many places on a child’s cancer journey.” Karim Sadak, MD, MPH, MSE, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota said at the launch of the meeting. “I see it most notably when a child becomes a teenager and transitions into young adulthood, but that kind of transition occurs on all cancer survivor journeys. There are so many transitions and self-management skills are crucial. “

In your presentation Doris Howell, RN, PhD, FAAN, The retired scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Center discussed the importance of self-management for survival in order to achieve beneficial results.

“There really is an imperative here regarding the increasing number of cancer survivors in all age categories,” Howell said. “There is a wealth of evidence from multiple studies of the poor physical and mental health that is becoming a major concern for survivors.”

Self-management support in survival shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought, Howell says, as it can affect a cancer survivor’s long-term outcome. She said survivors who lack this support seem to have worse outcomes.

“Survivors’ ability to manage self-effects and long-term sequelae affects health far more than medical interventions,” Howell said. “Failure to support self-management has negative consequences for well-being and survival.”

Howell defined self-management support as “the systematic delivery of education and supportive interventions by health care professionals to improve patients’ skills and confidence in managing their health problems, including regular progress and problem assessment, goal setting, and problem-solving support. ”

Survivor self-management strategies can be implemented based on a risk assessment. A self-management support component in personalized follow-up care for patients with a low risk of recurrence is now being provided in England, Ireland and Australia, Howell said.

“Low-risk survivors, who make up 85% of survivors, could be effective with long-term management with the help of self-management,” she said. “Decades of research into chronic diseases shows [self-management support] to be an effective means of achieving Triple Aim’s healthcare goals of better health and patient experience at a lower cost. “

Cancer survivor Patty SpearsThe Patient Advocate Alliance spoke of the overwhelming challenges and distractions associated with living with cancer and the potential for feeling abandoned when regular support systems recede during survival.

“I love that term that came from Doris Howell: person-centered care,” said Spears. “Survival is a term, not a label, and it encompasses all patients from diagnosis to life balance. This is a very comprehensive statement and it is important that we value every patient who has ever been diagnosed with cancer and that we support and care for them through the self-management program. “

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Navigating Survival