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Getting the Care We Need: The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Centers of Excellence

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As a survivor of brain cancer experiencing the health concerns that survivors of many types of cancers have, I was excited to hear about the efforts of the LAF to improve the quality of care of cancer survivors. We all know too well that often following our aggressive treatment for cancer we are left to wonder what next to do about our health. LAF launched an initiative to fund Survivorship Centers of Excellence whose mission is to improve the quality of health care, research, and training in comprehensive, integrative cancer survivorship care. In the future we will no longer be wondering ?what next? after our treatment.

These Centers of Excellence represent a major national effort to improve our health, well being, and ability to keep living as cancer survivors. They provide a range of health care services from the perspective of a patient with cancer. They represent a national treasure for cancer survivors.

The Journal of Cancer Survivorship (JCS) is very pleased to have published the first peer reviewed paper on the Center of Excellence Network in its recent March 2009 issue. After learning about these Centers I scheduled an appointment for myself. I was evaluated as a patient with cancer. When undergoing the evaluation I had a sense of relief that my problems were now looked at from that specific vantage point which had previously been elusive. I have excellent doctors but they do not see me a cancer survivor. Instead, in the past I had been viewed just as any other patient which unfortunately I am not. The Center of Excellence providers considered my health, future late effects of my cancer treatments, family history of health problems, well being, nutrition, weight, and activity level amongst other considerations. Who wouldn?t want this type of comprehensive care? cancer or not?

There are eight Centers of Excellence. While affiliated with major cancer centers, they also network with various community hospitals to expand clinical care and research. The Centers of Excellence are also involved in training medical doctors and health professionals from many different specialties. They will be capable of addressing our problems now and in the future.

Take a look at the paper in JCS. The authors do an excellent job describing these Centers of Excellence and their current and future efforts to help us stay healthy and active.

Michael Feuerstein, PhD, MPH
Founder and Editor in Chief
Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice (JCS)

  • http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com Jonathan Eisen

    I am disappointed that a journal that seems like it would be of potential interest to the public is alas not publishing in a way that the public can access it. There is a movement in the scientific publishing world to make more material freely and openly available to all. It seems as though this is not the case for the Journal of Cancer Survivorship (e.g., see http://jinfo.lub.lu.se/jinfo?func=fullRecord&issn=19322259). I would recommend that the LAF consider adopting a stronger “Open Access’ position much as NIH and HHMI and other organizations have done

  • Jen

    I’ve been monitored (is that the right word?) by the LAF clinic at Dana Farber since 2007. Its wonderful–truly wonderful, and I hope they spread it out to more and more cancer centers. It fills a gap between what my PCP can’t possibly understand and what my oncologist is too busy to worry about. I am so appreciative to the LAF for making this possible. I know my health post-cancer is better because of it.

  • Michael Feuerstein

    An excellent question was raised by one of the reaaders of this blog. Why does’nt the Journal of Cancer Suvivorship:Research and Practice (JCS) have open access to papers?

    It does have limited open access. Articles that are based on research funded by the NIH are available at no cost. There are many of these types of papers in the journal and there will be many more in the future as the journal gains a reputation. The publisher also allocates one issue per year as open access.

    JCS is a journal about and for cancer surivors… that is why I launched it but its main targets are health care profesionals who provide our care and researchers who create new knowledge. This scientific peer- reviewed journal publishes information that will help improve our health, the quality of health care we receive,our well being and function. All this information should contribute to optimize our long term survivorship.

    Cancer survivors can and should be able to access this information as well. Some of the work published in JCS has been funded with US tax dollars . This work is available to all for free. Also, reading the abstracts are free to all (use PubMed or go the JCS site on Springer.com). Contacting the author of those papers that you are especially interested in is another way to learn about the work and its implications for cancer survivors… Now.

    You raise a good point regarding open access. It is available although not for every paper. This is the state of quality scientific/medical journal publishing. My intent is to facilitate the widest possible exposure by publishing new information regarding cancer survivorship to the international community. The ultimate goal is to help as many cancer suvivors as we can. Publishing the journal with a world class, highly visible and experienced publisher such as Springer will allow us to have the impact we need.