Long-term care of breast cancer survivors: the role of a survivorship care plan

Abstract

Life after breast cancer presents challenges for many women. There is a large body of evidence showing that many long-term issues are not well addressed by current follow-up care. The use of a survivorship care plan (SCP), a written treatment summary and plan for ongoing care, has been recommended to enhance care and address many of these needs. The aim of this project was to evaluate the potential role of a survivorship care plan in addressing the unmet clinical and psychosocial needs of Australian breast cancer survivors. Following a literature review, a survey of health professionals and interviews with consumers, an SCP was developed and tested on a cohort of 68 breast cancer survivors over 18 months. Around half of the participants continued to use the SCP long-term. Overall quality of life improved but endocrine symptoms worsened significantly, especially in younger women. This study did not find a significant impact of the SCP. The findings do not support the routine use of an SCP. Future research should focus on identifying sub-groups of cancer survivors that may benefit more from an SCP than others, and evaluating whether SCPs are more effective when targeted to specific areas of care or need.