Focus on survivorship care for cancer patients: Institute of Medicine

Although there has been progress, many recommendations from the 2006 report have not been fully implemented, researchers note in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

As a growing number of people live decades after a cancer diagnosis, doctors and scientists are developing treatment guidelines for survivors. But a US report suggests more work is needed to improve the consistency and quality of survivorship care.
 
It’s been more than a decade since the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its seminal 2006 report on adult cancer survivors. The report galvanised the cancer care community, calling for a shift in thinking to focus not just on treating tumours but also on minimising lifelong medical problems that can be caused by malignancies or by surgery, medication, and radiation.