US report: Cancer survivors multiply evidence of progress

More than ten years have passed since the US National Academy of Medicine released its pivotal report on cancer survivors, which motivated patients to focus on patient care in 2006, according to Reuters.

The report advocated changing the way we think, rather than focusing on treating tumors. We insist that lifelong health problems are reduced by malignant tumors, surgical procedures, treatments and procedures. radiation.

In a report published by the National Cancer Institute, researchers said that many of the recommendations of the 2006 report had not been fully implemented, despite the progress made.

"One of the great successes is the awareness of the challenges post-treatment cancer survivors face, such as body toxicity or premature aging due to chemotherapy," said Dr. Ron Klein, MD , MD, MD, Medicare and Medicaid Development Center, Baltimore. The effects of surgeries and the psychological stress of not knowing if the cancer will reappear and the physical burden of a treatment that sometimes lasts for long periods, perhaps indefinitely. "

"By recognizing these challenges, leaders in the field are developing and testing new models for victim care and demanding quality for the care they receive," he said.

The Klein report states that the National Academy of Medicine's report allowed health care providers to improve service delivery to help patients and their families understand the importance of post-treatment phase.

For example, the report recommends that patients obtain a post-survival health plan to assist with periodic examinations and treatment once the tumor is over, but it is not clear to what extent these plans are actually being used or are being used. they improved the results.

Part of the problem, according to the new report, is that there are no clear criteria for assessing or improving the quality of health care provided to victims, as most quality measures are focused on oncology rather than helping victims adjust later to their lives.

The new report adds that physicians are not very committed to training health service providers to the Academy's recommendations on survivor care, although professional and voluntary institutions have developed training programs. in this regard.