Status of Cancer Survivorship Care: Should We Not Improve?

Abstract

Cancer mortality has significantly decreased due to screening, early detection, improved diagnostics, treatments, and supportive care.1 Worldwide, an estimated 28.4 million new cancer cases are projected to occur in 2040.2 Cancer survival in the United Kingdom has doubled in the past 40 years from 24 to 50%.3 By 2040, we expect around 26 million cancer survivors in the United States of America.4 The total global cancer survivor population, including Asia, could be over several million. Undoubtedly, every healthcare provider will encounter a cancer survivor in their practice. The care of cancer survivors is often uncoordinated, incomplete, and tends to be fragmentary. Significant improvements in cancer survivor care are necessary in most parts of the developing world by implementing the core essentials of cancer survivorship care, such as ASCO, ESMO, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center (The Survivorship Center).5–7 We summarize this topic through a set of questions and answers. The core essentials of cancer survivorship care will be outlined, and finally, we will discuss a few methods of its implementation in our region.