Understanding an ASCO survivorship care plan

It supports communication between you, your oncology team, your primary care clinician and any other professionals involved in recovery. It complements your medical record rather than replacing it.

The treatment summary records the cancer diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, medicines and other relevant care you received. The follow-up portion sets out appointments, monitoring, possible long-term or delayed treatment effects, wellbeing needs and which clinician is responsible for each part of care.

Your plan should reflect your diagnosis and treatment history. A generic form is only a starting point; entries such as medicine names, treatment sites, continuing medicines and contact details need to match your own care.

Read the plan with a member of your cancer team and correct missing or unclear information. Keep a copy with your health records, share it with clinicians who manage your general health, and take it to follow-up visits. Add updated medicines, diagnoses and contact details when your care changes.

Use its schedule to organise routine appointments, but check who will book each visit or test. Write down new physical symptoms, emotional concerns, fertility or sexual-health questions, work difficulties and rehabilitation needs so they can be discussed at the appropriate appointment.

Do not wait for a scheduled survivorship visit if you develop a new, persistent or worsening symptom, or a treatment effect that is disrupting eating, sleep, movement or daily activities. Contact the named oncology or primary care clinician and describe when the change began and how it is progressing.

Seek urgent medical help for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, sudden weakness, confusion, uncontrolled bleeding or another rapidly worsening problem. The care plan helps clinicians understand your history, but it is not an emergency response service.

Ask which clinician will coordinate follow-up, what symptoms should trigger an earlier appointment, whether any treatment effects need rehabilitation, and how the plan will be updated. Also confirm where to call outside normal clinic hours and whether your primary care clinician has received a copy.