According to the National Cancer Policy Board, it is estimated that by the year 2050 there will be more cancer survivors in the United States than those newly diagnosed with the disease.
That is why researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) are taking a closer look at the specific needs of cancer survivors as they transition from specialty care back to their primary care provider. CINJ is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
A research study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, CINJ and the U.S. Department of Defense will look at how breast and prostate cancer survivors view their medical needs as they no longer need to be under the care of an oncologist and go back to their regular family doctor, internist or gynecologist for follow-up care. Breast and prostate cancer survivors were chosen as the focus of this trial, because those groups represent the most common forms of cancer in survivors and screenings such as mammograms or blood work to see if the cancer has returned are often performed in a primary care setting.
Shawna V. Hudson, PhD, director of community research at CINJ and assistant professor of family medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is the lead investigator of the trial: “There have only been a few previous studies on this topic and the cancer survivor population continues to grow; therefore, it is critical to identify patterns of care that are most optimal for this group and to help them communicate their needs to general healthcare providers.”