A Commitment to Survivorship
Cancer care does not end with treatment. NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester recognizes the unique needs and challenges that cancer survivors may face after treatment. We are committed to providing comprehensive care for survivors through our Cancer Survivorship Clinical Program. This program is available to all survivors of cancer — no matter where you were treated.
A Road Map for Your Future Health
A survivorship care plan (SCP) is an important document for education and communication following cancer treatment. Your SCP will include a treatment summary that highlights the important details of your diagnosis and therapy. It will also outline individualized recommendations for your follow-up that are tailored to your specific treatment, along with your personal health history. We will review your SCP with you, and it can be shared with your primary care provider. Your SCP will include:
- A schedule for follow-up visits, screenings, and tests related to your cancer diagnosis.
- Recommendations for surveillance of other cancers and strategies to reduce your cancer risk.
- A review of common symptoms related to cancer treatment — such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and memory and thinking difficulties — as well as strategies for their management.
- Wellness and healthy living guidelines.
- Referrals to community resources and specialists at New York-Presbyterian Medical Group Westchester and ColumbiaDoctors.
Caring for your heart before, during, and after treatment
Our team works with experts who are part of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia's Cardio-Oncology Program. Traditional chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin, some forms of radiation therapy, and newer treatments such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies can sometimes lead to heart problems. Cardio-oncology specialists collaborate with your cancer care team to develop a treatment plan that works best for you, focusing on:
- Prevention of heart problems by controlling cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol at the time of diagnosis and the beginning of your cancer treatment.
- Monitoring your heart function during cancer therapy, to identify and treat heart disease and cardiac side effects early, if they develop.
- Support into survivorship, since some cancer therapies may raise the risk of heart problems that don't appear until years after treatment is completed.
Our Approach to Care
We offer survivorship services to anyone who has finished cancer treatment, even if you received care from providers outside of NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester. We also offer follow-up monitoring, including mammography and other forms of breast imaging, CT and PET/CT scans, bone density testing, and laboratory tests for cancer survivors.
Why Choose Us
At NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester, we understand the long road that many people with cancer have traveled. We created our Cancer Survivorship Clinical Program to ease the journey for anyone who has lived through cancer diagnosis and treatment. A survivorship plan can help you achieve and maintain the best health possible after cancer treatment so you can continue to enjoy the things you like doing for as long and as well as possible. Contact us to get started on your survivorship plan.