Survivorship Care Plans

A survivorship care plan is a complete record of your cancer history, treatments given, the need for future checkups and cancer tests, possible long-term effects of the treatment, and ideas for staying healthy. The plan needs to identify which health care providers are responsible for your care.

The Purpose of a Survivorship Care Plan

A survivorship care plan summarizes important information about your cancer and treatment, which helps you and your doctors understand each other. Talk about your survivorship care plan with your health care team and share it with all of the health care professionals you see, such as your primary care doctor, radiologist, surgeon, nurses, social workers, and psychologists.

Should I Get a Survivorship Care Plan?

Researchers are not sure if survivorship care plans improve health. Studies on their value to patients and health care providers are ongoing. However, many health care providers provide survivorship care plans to patients, and you can decide if it would help you.

How to Get a Survivorship Care Plan

Your doctor may give you a survivorship care plan when you finish your cancer treatment. Ask your doctor about it if you have completed treatment and have not received one. If you choose to complete a survivorship care plan, bring it with you whenever you go to the doctor.