Cancer can be life changing or life altering from the moment of diagnosis. For patients and their loved ones, cancer can also be an experience that extends well beyond active treatment.
As a patient, moving beyond active treatment and regular clinical appointments without your care team can be a big step. For some, the post-treatment phase may be the first real opportunity to emotionally process what you’ve just been through. You may also have questions or concerns about what lies ahead, including lifestyle decisions, symptom management, cancer screenings, and risk reduction.
Our Survivorship and Wellness Program provides personalized support, education, and tools to manage physical and mental health challenges you may face as you transition from active treatment to survivorship and wellness care and recovery.
Our goal is to empower you to move forward with confidence and enjoy a fulfilling life.
Compassionate Care, Unmatched Expertise
Penn Medicine developed the country’s first adult cancer survivorship and wellness program at its Abramson Cancer Center in 2001 and has continued to lead the evolution of this important component of cancer care. Lancaster General Health’s cancer program joined the ground-breaking survivorship and wellness work in 2006. Today, Penn Medicine serves as a survivorship and wellness program resource to hospitals and cancer centers throughout the country.
At the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, our program gives you access to a compassionate, multidisciplinary team—many of whom are already familiar faces—including doctors, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, nurse navigators, genetic counselors, physical therapists, dietitians, social workers, chaplains, and more.
Treatment Summary and Care Plan
As part of our Survivorship and Wellness Program, we help interested individuals develop a personalized recovery plan. Survivorship and wellness care begins with a review of your cancer diagnosis and treatment, to answer any questions about what you’ve experienced. Next, we discuss what may occur in the weeks and months to ahead, including physical symptoms to follow-up screenings, as well as any psychosocial concerns such as family or relationship stress, returning to work, or financial issues.
We may refer you for consultation with additional providers within our Survivorship and Wellness Program, or connect you to resources within Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health or in the community, to help during this period of transition and healing.
All of this information is in a detailed document in your medical record that is shared with your cancer care team and primary care provider.