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Survivorship

Members of the ACCC IO Institute Executive Committee discuss why it’s essential to accommodate the unique side-effect profile for immunotherapy patients in survivorship care plans. (features Linda House, RN, BSN, MSM; and Jennie Crews, MD, MMM, FACP)

Featured Resource

The dawn and evolution of immunotherapies have given rise to a new class of cancer survivors whose novel experience with these treatments require new tools and resources in survivorship. However, these patients are not typical candidates for receiving traditional survivorship care plans or resources. Current Commission on Cancer standards do not require cancer programs and practices to provide survivorship services to patients treated with immunotherapies. ACCC has created templates to help guide your programs and patients needs.
Explore Survivorship Templates

Related Resources

Survivorship in the Era of IO Lecture Series
Expert panels discuss the unique survivorship needs of IO patients, including improving care coordination and communication within the multidisciplinary team and how to meet patients’ psychosocial and physical well-being needs.

Transitioning to Primary Care After IO Treatment
By Regina Jacob, MD, MSCE, FACP

While immuno-oncology (IO) therapies have heralded significant advancements in cancer care, there are still many unknowns when it comes to the long-term side effects of these relatively new agents. Since ambulatory care typically involves long-term chronic disease management, these unknowns can often translate to management uncertainty.
Survivorship Care in the Era of Immuno-Oncology
By Sigrun Hallmeyer, MD

The positive impacts of IO therapy are remarkable, the era of IO has also ushered in new challenges. The efficacy of IO has led to a growing population of patients living with and beyond cancer. This has challenged original concepts of survivorship care, starting with the very definition of “survivorship.”
[Publication] IO Wallet Card
Through its immunotherapy initiative, ACCC has developed a medical wallet card for patients on immunotherapy for cancer. A downloadable print-ready PDF enables cancer programs & practices to have copies printed.
[Publication] Survivorship Care Plans for Patients Receiving Immunotherapy
ACCC’s Immuno-Oncology Institute has developed the Survivorship Care Plans for Patients Receiving Immunotherapy as a resource for cancer programs and practices. and describes processes for developing survivorship care plans (SCPs) for patients treated with immunotherapy, effective practices in SCP design, and considerations for SCP delivery for this patient population.
[PODCAST] Ep 04: Survivorship Care After Immunotherapy

Learn about the transition from immunotherapy into post-treatment survivorship, how it differs from chemotherapy, and why coordination and communication among providers, patients, and caregivers is essential.

View & Filter All IO Resources

From Oncology Issues

Collaborative Learning Workshops Explore Best Practices for Implementing Cancer Immunotherapies in the Community
Elevating Survivorship: Results from Two National Surveys

In order to explore experiences and needs concerning cancer survivorship from both the provider and the patient perspectives, ACCC and NCCS partnered to field two online surveys to oncology providers and cancer survivors, respectively.
A Physician Champion Takes a Practice-Based Immunotherapy Program to the Next Level
Tracy Virgilio, RN, MSN, OCN

Early symptom management is key to improving quality of life for patients with cancer, and proactive monitoring delivers unparalleled survival advantage while decreasing emergency visits and admissions. However, immunotherapies require special attention and procedures. Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center earned a 2018 ACCC Innovator Award for their immunotherapy triage algorithms, which provide non-oncology physicians and nurses with the tools to manage IO patients and prevent unnecessary admissions.

FROM THE ACCCBUZZ BLOG

Early Identification and Management of Pneumonitis and Other irAEs in Patients with NSCLC
By Sarah Sagorsky, MPAS, PA-C
September 01, 2023
As immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the standard of care for eligible patients with NSCLC, frequent monitoring of irAEs as well as provider and patient education on the signs and symptoms of pneumonitis can ensure improved clinical outcomes for patients.
A New Decade for Advancements in Immunotherapy
June 08, 2023
June is Cancer Immunotherapy Month, and ACCC is highlighting the important work that it and its partners are doing to increase patient access to these novel therapies.

News & Media

In Survivorship Care, Many Models for Communication and Value
AJMC, Mar 3, 2022