Survivorship and the cancer follow-up clinic

Abstract

In recent years there has been growing interest in the needs of those individuals who have survived cancer. It is now possible to describe the adjustments that these individuals will make, predict when such difficulties will arise, and identify those most vulnerable to adjustment difficulty. The value of the cancer follow-up clinic has also received scrutiny, drawing on work previously undertaken in the cancer screening clinic setting. Issues discussed in the literature include the purpose of follow-up, the most appropriate health care professional to undertake the follow-up clinic, and the financial cost of cancer follow-up. There exists an opportunity for cancer nurses at present to develop roles in the clinic setting, offering patient-centred and cost-effective alternatives to physician-led follow-up.