Survivorship

Siteman Cancer Center’s Survivorship Program

At Siteman Cancer Center, our Survivorship Program focuses on maintaining a lifelong connection with all of our cancer patients so that you can embrace life to the fullest. This includes offering services that meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of you as our patient and your family or caregivers.

Our team in the Survivorship Program can link you to onsite or community resources, such as free counseling services and cancer support groups, or direct you to case managers who can assist with financial concerns. We also know about the possibility of lingering side effects after treatment, such as fatigue and memory loss,  and can answer your questions about available options.

Need help in eating healthier or in quitting smoking? We can connect you to those resources, too. The important thing to realize is that we are here for you throughout your entire lifetime. You don’t have to face anxiety, questions or concerns alone. We’re here to help whenever you need us. Just call the Patient Care Coordination Center at 314-747-3046.

Siteman Cancer Center’s Survivorship Program. Your Partner for Life.

Symptoms After Cancer Treatment is Over

You’ve beaten your cancer, but have lingering problems with fatigue, memory or numbness in your body.  For some individuals, there are side effects that can develop not only during cancer treatment, but months or even years after cancer treatment.

The good news is that you can continue working with our cancer care team long after treatment to address these symptoms, whether they are physical or emotional. In many cases, effective rehabilitation and treatment options are available. Talk with your physician or a member of the Siteman Cancer Center’s Survivorship Program if you have any ongoing concerns.  We want you to enjoy life to the fullest and we’re here to help.

Some of the most common lingering effects after cancer treatment are:

Clinic for Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer

The Lifelong Outcomes Clinic provides long-term care aimed at preventing, detecting and treating delayed complications of pediatric cancer and addressing the mental health concerns of adult survivors of childhood cancer. The clinic evaluates patients and refers them to cardiologists, pulmonologists, psychologists, social workers or other experts, depending on each patient’s needs. Individuals also receive a follow-up care plan based on the earlier cancer diagnosis and the potential late effects of cancer treatment. The clinic can help patients share the plans with their current physicians.

The Lifelong Outcomes Clinic is at Siteman Cancer Center-South County, 5225 Midamerica Plaza, St. Louis, Mo., 63129, near Interstate 55 and Butler Hill Road (map). To make an appointment, call 314-747-3046. Referrals from health-care providers are welcome, too.

Survivorship Resources

Free Counseling & Emotional Support

Through the Siteman Psychology Service, you and your family can access free counseling services for cancer related difficulties. These services are highly beneficial if you are experiencing anxiety or depression related to a cancer diagnosis, cancer related fatigue or sleep difficulties, or need to learn coping strategies.

Thousands of patients have benefitted from this service. To make an appointment, call the Siteman Psychology Service: 314-747-5587 or ask your medical oncology provider to refer you.

Learn more about patient and family services.

Nutritional Counseling

Our licensed registered dietitians are available during and after treatment to discuss nutritional supplements, healthier food choices, and coping strategies for lingering taste or nutritional concerns post-cancer treatment. For more information call (314) 454-7619.

Free Smoking Cessation Resources

If you need help quitting smoking, these resources can get you started on your journey and keep you accountable when things get tough:

Tobacco Quitline: Individual telephone counseling, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

On-Line Quit Plan: Supportive texts, smartphone application, and calendar, smokefree.gov.

Pain Management Services

Siteman Cancer Center has a dedicated Pain Management Center with a multidisciplinary team of specialists who focus solely on pain management during and after cancer treatment. For more information, call (314) 362-8820.

Dealing with Memory Loss

Through Washington University Occupational Therapy, we have specialists who can help you cope with cognitive changes such as short-term memory loss, trouble concentrating (sometimes called “chemo brain”), and difficulty in decision-making. Talk with your care provider for a referral for these services. For more information call 314-286-1669, option 3 or email [email protected]

Treatment for Lingering Physical Effects

Talk with our Survivorship Program team about any concerns you may have related to fatigue, lymphedema (swelling of arms and legs), changes in sexual function, muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, skin changes, or anemia. While these are often lingering physical effects after cancer treatment, there are options available to help you recover from these or minimize their impact.

8IGHTWAYS® to Stay Healthy After Cancer

Cancer’s hard. No two ways about it. Diagnosis and treatment can be frightening and draining, and even after you’ve made it past those hurdles, you have to learn how to make your way through life as a cancer survivor. With modern medicine, though, millions of survivors are not only living longer, but they’re also learning to live better. And one of the best paths to doing that is to take steps to take control your health.

Free Cancer Support Groups

Sometimes, it’s just nice to talk with others who are experiencing — or have already experienced — the same cancer journey. At Siteman Cancer Center we offer two onsite support groups and can link you to other cancer support groups in the community or at our satellite treatment locations.

  • Gynecology Oncology Survivors Group
  • Young Breast Cancer Survivors Group
  • Prostate Cancer Support Group

View dates on our calendar

Support Groups Offered in the Community

Survivorship Education Series

The Siteman Survivorship Program has partnered with the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) for a six-part survivorship education series. Each of the virtual events covers topics that affect many cancer survivors. View all six sessions here

Your Cancer Record—the Cancer Survivorship Care Plan

When you complete your treatment protocol with us, your Siteman Cancer Center provider will review a Survivorship Care Plan with you. This document serves as a snapshot of your cancer care. Although this is not a substitute for your complete medical record, the Survivorship Care Plan briefly summarizes

  • Your initial diagnosis
  • Names of your doctors
  • Surgical findings, if any
  • Specifics about what treatments you received
  • What ongoing medications you will take for your cancer diagnosis
  • Schedule of recommended follow-up visits and tests
  • Potential side effects from your cancer treatment
  • Recommended lifestyle and behaviors

The plan is shared with both you and your primary care provider so that you have ready access to the basic information about your cancer diagnosis and care while at the Siteman Cancer Center.

It is vital that you keep your recommended follow-up visits as noted in the care plan. Call your cancer care provider with any questions you may have after reviewing your follow-up plan.

If you have any additional questions or concerns about life after cancer treatment, just give us a call.

Debra Spoljaric, RN, MSN, CPNP, FNP-C
Survivorship Program Nurse Practitioner
Siteman Cancer Center
(314) 747-1792