Last update:
19-Mar-2025

Cancer is a major public health issue, remaining one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, timely diagnosis, more effective treatments, and high-quality supportive care provided to cancer patients have led to increased survival rates. Cancer survivors face a complex spectrum of physical, emotional, and social difficulties that can affect their quality of life and require comprehensive support and care from healthcare providers, caregivers, and support networks. They experience worse health outcomes (such as hypothyroidism, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes) and or an increased risk of recurrence and developing new cancers compared to the general population. Furthermore, they also report various unmet needs that require an interdisciplinary and holistic approach extending beyond diagnosis and treatment and focusing on aspects such as health promotion and rehabilitation. Common rehabilitation interventions (preventive, restorative, supportive, and palliative) for cancer patients aim at maximizing physical, social, psychological, and vocational functioning. These interventions can be based on one of the four proposed models, namely the specialist-led care model, the shared care model, the primary care-led model, and the oncology nurse-led care model. These models include rehabilitation services to meet functional needs, emphasizing on long-term care, as well as social support services focusing on addressing social issues in care, highlighting the value of social and family networks and inclusion in the survival phase. By recognizing and addressing the evolving needs of these patients, healthcare professionals can contribute to improving their quality of life and overall health outcomes. However, further research in the field of "survivorship", focusing on prevention, early detection of recurrences, and self-efficacy, is deemed imperative to address developing challenges in that field.

Key words: Cancer, Models of survivorship care, Needs of survivors, Supportive care, Survivorship.