Prostate cancer survivorship: Implementation of survivorship care plans to meet the mandate and enhance urologic practice through collaborative care.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among the male survivorship population in the United States, representing 44% of approximately 7 million survivors. In the era of modern medicine and value-based care, successfully treating only the cancer is not sufficient. The cancer survivor represents an individual in need of restoration and protection against future events. A well-designed and well-supported survivorship program not only meets a mandate for accreditation, it logically translates into better patient care. This review summarizes the history of the survivorship movement, outlines some key elements of a survivorship program, and highlights the opportunity to apply these principles to improve cancer-related care, develop relationships with colleagues that may allow increased identification of men at risk, and expand both the experience and outcomes of individual specialists within men's health.