Outlook | Newsletter of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Cancer Survivorship: From across the Pond to the Annual Meeting

Gozde Ozakinci, PhD, CPsychol, Cancer SIG Outlook liaison; and Kristi Graves, PhD, Cancer SIG chair

Our Cancer SIG is fortunate to have members who practice and conduct research in diverse settings, including other countries with different approaches to health care and cancer care. Understanding these different approaches can broaden our ideas about best practices to improve outcomes for cancer survivors. For example, the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative in the United Kingdom last summer announced a two-year initiative named Living With and Beyond Cancer. This initiative will focus on a plan that ensures all cancer patients have access to the “Recovery Package.” The package will include a holistic needs assessment at multiple points and a cancer care review that will be completed by a general practitioner or nurse. Increased recognition of physical activity in cancer care is also recognized, as the initiative aims to promote physical activity. The emphasis is largely on “supported self-management” that includes healthy lifestyle and physical activity.

These efforts recognize the need to help cancer patients manage symptoms and regain health throughout their survivorship experience. Indeed, similar to efforts in the United Kingdom, multiple groups in the United States have proposed guidelines relevant to improving cancer survivorship care. Given the increasing number of recently released guidelines, Cancer SIG members may have difficulty keeping up with what these guidelines are and how such guidelines might be implemented and disseminated. For example, recent survivorship care guidelines in the United States include Livestrong’s Essential Elements, the NCCN Guidelines, the American Cancer Society Practice Guidelines, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, and the American College of Surgeons Cancer Program Standards.

The Cancer Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) has an exciting 2015 SBM Annual Meeting pre-conference workshop on April 22 highlighting these important issues: Dissemination and Implementation of Guidelines and Evidenced-Based Interventions for Cancer Survivorship Care. Relevant to SBM members interested in dissemination and implementation science, cancer survivorship, and successful translation of empirically-supported approaches into clinical settings, the workshop will bring together policy, clinical, and research leaders in the cancer field.

We are pleased to have a star-packed line up of speakers including Robert T. Croyle, PhD, Bradford W. Hesse, PhD, and Julia H. Rowland, PhD (National Cancer Institute); Karen J. Coleman, PhD (Kaiser Permanente); Sarah R. Arvey, PhD (LiveStrong); Rebecca Cowens-Alvarado, MPH (American Cancer Society); Barbara L. Andersen, PhD (Ohio State University); Shawna L. Ehlers, PhD (Mayo Clinic); Heidi A. Hamann, PhD, Jeffrey Kendall, PsyD (UT Southwestern); Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MA (George Washington University); and Lisa M. Quintiliani, PhD (Boston University). These experts will share national and international efforts related to outcomes measurement, implementation and dissemination, screening in clinical settings, current guidelines, and use of mobile technology for implementation in survivorship settings. Topics covered will have application to a variety of health concerns beyond cancer. We hope you can join us; see this flyer for more information.


Winter 2015	Return to Outlook main page »
Cancer Survivorship: From across the Pond to the Annual Meeting *Gozde Ozakinci, PhD, CPsychol, Cancer SIG Outlook* liaison; and Kristi Graves, PhD, Cancer SIG chair** Our Cancer SIG is fortunate to have members who practice and conduct research in diverse settings, including other countries with different approaches to health care and cancer care. Understanding these different approaches can broaden our ideas about best practices to improve outcomes for cancer survivors. For example, the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative in the United Kingdom last summer announced a two-year initiative named Living With and Beyond Cancer. This initiative will focus on a plan that ensures all cancer patients have access to the “Recovery Package.” The package will include a holistic needs assessment at multiple points and a cancer care review that will be completed by a general practitioner or nurse. Increased recognition of physical activity in cancer care is also recognized, as the initiative aims to promote physical activity. The emphasis is largely on “supported self-management” that includes healthy lifestyle and physical activity. These efforts recognize the need to help cancer patients manage symptoms and regain health throughout their survivorship experience. Indeed, similar to efforts in the United Kingdom, multiple groups in the United States have proposed guidelines relevant to improving cancer survivorship care. Given the increasing number of recently released guidelines, Cancer SIG members may have difficulty keeping up with what these guidelines are and how such guidelines might be implemented and disseminated. For example, recent survivorship care guidelines in the United States include Livestrong’s Essential Elements, the NCCN Guidelines, the American Cancer Society Practice Guidelines, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, and the American College of Surgeons Cancer Program Standards. The Cancer Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) has an exciting 2015 SBM Annual Meeting pre-conference workshop on April 22 highlighting these important issues: Dissemination and Implementation of Guidelines and Evidenced-Based Interventions for Cancer Survivorship Care. Relevant to SBM members interested in dissemination and implementation science, cancer survivorship, and successful translation of empirically-supported approaches into clinical settings, the workshop will bring together policy, clinical, and research leaders in the cancer field. We are pleased to have a star-packed line up of speakers including Robert T. Croyle, PhD, Bradford W. Hesse, PhD, and Julia H. Rowland, PhD (National Cancer Institute); Karen J. Coleman, PhD (Kaiser Permanente); Sarah R. Arvey, PhD (LiveStrong); Rebecca Cowens-Alvarado, MPH (American Cancer Society); Barbara L. Andersen, PhD (Ohio State University); Shawna L. Ehlers, PhD (Mayo Clinic); Heidi A. Hamann, PhD, Jeffrey Kendall, PsyD (UT Southwestern); Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MA (George Washington University); and Lisa M. Quintiliani, PhD (Boston University). These experts will share national and international efforts related to outcomes measurement, implementation and dissemination, screening in clinical settings, current guidelines, and use of mobile technology for implementation in survivorship settings. Topics covered will have application to a variety of health concerns beyond cancer. We hope you can join us; see this flyer for more information.