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Cancer Survivorship: A New Challenge for Surgical and Medical Oncologists

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Abstract

Increasingly, oncology practitioners are realizing that despite the “success” of cancer therapies, cancer survivors are facing previously unrecognized issues related to survivorship, including physical and psychosocial side-effects of the cancer and its treatment, second cancers, and practical and economic issues related to adjusting to life after their cancer diagnosis. In gastrointestinal cancers, traditionally, the medical and surgical oncologists charged with the care of the patient are not well-equipped to deal with these survivorship issues. At the Penn State Cancer Institute’s newly formed Gastrointestinal Cancer Survivorship Clinic, we provide a full array of services to optimize care through a multi-disciplinary approach. By utilizing a multi-disciplinary model with the primary medical and surgical oncologists spearheading the survivorship initiative and psychological and pastoral support as a priority, we hope to optimize cancer survivor care and patient quality of life.

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Acknowledgments

There was no funding for the work represented in this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Niraj J. Gusani MD, MS, Jane R. Schubart PhD, MS, MBA, Eric T. Kimchi MD & Kevin F. Staveley-O’Carroll MD, PhD

  2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Niraj J. Gusani MD, MS & Jane R. Schubart PhD, MS, MBA

  3. Chaplain Services, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    James Wise

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Elana Farace PhD

  5. Departments of Humanities and Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Michael J. Green MD, MS

  6. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Yixing Jiang MD, PhD

  7. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H061, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Kevin F. Staveley-O’Carroll MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Niraj J. Gusani MD, MS
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  2. Jane R. Schubart PhD, MS, MBA
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  3. James Wise
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  4. Elana Farace PhD
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  5. Michael J. Green MD, MS
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  6. Yixing Jiang MD, PhD
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  7. Eric T. Kimchi MD
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  8. Kevin F. Staveley-O’Carroll MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Niraj J. Gusani MD, MS.

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Gusani, N.J., Schubart, J.R., Wise, J. et al. Cancer Survivorship: A New Challenge for Surgical and Medical Oncologists. J GEN INTERN MED 24 (Suppl 2), 456–458 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1010-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1010-0

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