Developing and testing more personalized care pathways for cancer survivors after treatment

Dr Robin Urquhart is working to improve post-treatment care for people who have completed cancer treatment.In Canada, follow-up cancer care is typically provided by oncologists. However, while oncologists are experts in screening for, diagnosing and treating cancer, patients who are finished treatment also need support to manage the late and ongoing side effects of cancer (and/or its treatment). For example, a person may need ongoing care for lymphedema after breast surgery, or for incontinence after treatment for colon cancer. The evidence shows that oncologist-led after-cancer care does not work well for patients, and is not efficient for our healthcare system. With input from breast, colorectal, and melanoma cancer survivors and their healthcare providers, Dr Urquhart will develop more personalized approaches to follow-up care that are better matched to address survivors’ needs, and will test these approaches at 2 cancer centres in Atlantic Canada. If successful, this project could help to improve survivors’ quality of life after cancer treatment.