Achievements of the SEOM Manifesto for Long-Term Cancer Survivor Care

specify long term survival concept for cancer establish optimal care regimen adapted to the needs of cancer patients and influence the measurement results and research. These are the questions that are raised and answered by “SEOM Manifesto for Long-Term Cancer Survivor Care“, which will soon be released and which has been promoted to XVI seminar for journalists “Healing and help in oncology”, organized for another year Spanish Society of Medical Oncology and MSD.

Under the theme “The present and future of long-term cancer survivors: opening new horizons to meet their clinical and social needs,” experts analyzed the situation of this group. “The concept of long-term survival has now changed from what we previously thought in oncology,” the professor said. Dr. Cesar A. RodriguezPresident of SEOM.

Multidisciplinary approach

Throughout the report it was argued that the management of long-term survivors must be interdisciplinary approach. And this is established in the document. It aims for shared monitoring between “hospital and primary care specialists from the moment of diagnosis”, as it states Dr. Ruth Vera, coordinator of the SEOM group of long-term cancer survivors, at EL MÉDICO INTERACTIVO. The document proposes multi-stage and interdisciplinary care, as well as an individualized model depending on the type of cancer, evolution, age of the patient, social and family environment, etc. And helping this group is work that involves different specialists: both doctors and nurses , and psychologists, and social workers, etc. In short, the general model. Therefore the words “communication and coordination

» were present in all interventions. Something that has been concluded is not being adequately addressed in our healthcare system.

Free communication with the INP

And how can we improve coordination between levels of care and make patient care more efficient? SEOM strives smooth communication between primary health care services and oncology services of hospitals through the INP (face-to-face consultations). “It must be established quick schemes response to primary care,” commented Dr. Vera. Regarding the areas on which research in the field of long-term cancer survival should be focused, the leader of this working group emphasized to EL MÉDICO INTERACTIVO that one of them would be to identify the current and future needs of patients in a changing world. Another very important point is to evaluate strategies in terms of not only treatment, but also quality of life and unmet needs of patients. “Research and measure to find solutions,” Dr. Vera said.

The role of PA in longevity

For his part, the family doctor Yolanda Hines, member of the cancer working group of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), focused on the role of this level of care in helping people survive the disease in the long term. “Primary care for people occurs throughout their lives and is necessary to prevent, monitor and control risk factors or the occurrence of other tumors.” And, as mentioned, these patients are more likely to have cardiovascular problems, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, or obesity; in addition to mental health problems such as anxiety or depression. So he demanded more managerial involvement to improve coordination between levels of care. As he noted, there are models that have already been implemented in Spain that work in a consistent manner to monitor long-term survivors, “but this is not common throughout Spain.” Shared management is an ideal model of long-term care for cancer survivors. Moreover, this management must be consistent across the different stages of disease progression, as it was once again emphasized, “from diagnosis and treatment to the follow-up phase, so that the burden of care falls more or less on primary care.” “The hospital takes into account the moment in which the patient is, his priorities and/or care needs at each moment,” commented, for his part, Dr. Rosario Vidal

oncologist at the University Hospital of Salamanca.

Lack of protocols

“The needs of long-term cancer survivors, especially those diagnosed at an early age, are very broad and affect both the organic, psychosocial and neurocognitive levels. This is a slab that they will have to bear for many years, and which, unfortunately, the health care system is unable to adequately cover. great lack of protocols help this group,” described in detail Dr. J. Alejandro Perez-Fidalgo, oncologist at the University Hospital of Valencia and researcher at Incliva. In this sense, as Dr. Vera said at the beginning of the session, the SEOM Manifesto establishes five types of needs. Physical, arising as a result of the tumor itself or as a result of treatment; psychological, as up to 20 percent of cancer survivors suffer from depression and/or anxiety; from the social, financial and professional spheres; the need for recurrence or development of secondary tumors; and finally, needs for the prevention of other pathologies associated with cancer.

Psychosocial needs

Psychosocial support was another key in the management of these patients that was present at every table of the day. Doctor Elena Brozos, a medical oncologist at the University Hospital Complex of La Coruña, noted that long-term cancer survivors may suffer from problems with self-esteem, sexuality and even fertility. For this reason, he emphasized the importance of educating all medical personnel, as well as patients themselves, so that they are aware of the toxicity and psychosocial problems that may arise. “Information is the antidote to psychological discomfort,” he commented. And hand in hand with these needs the role Psycho-oncology. Both Dr. Brozos and Dr. Pérez-Fidalgo stated that such consultations need to be provided in 100 percent of centers and with adequate resources, since those where they are available are underfunded. “The health care system must take on this need,” commented Dr. Fidalgo, who also recalled that psycho-oncology does not have a specific training plan.

Measuring real needs

The need to measure the care process was repeatedly emphasized at the meeting. “We do actual measurement of patient needs

Do we ask ourselves what the current needs are or what they will be in the coming years in order to adapt to them, or are we working on the needs of 10 years ago, asked Dr. Ruth Vera? We must demand more from ourselves when communicating with patients, Dr. Pérez-Fidalgo emphasized in this regard, emphasizing the need utility patient reported Exodus in monitoring quality of life, which changes over time or may be different depending on the circumstances of each patient. On the other hand, the meeting also discussed cancer forgetfulness, a right that, as commented by the President of SEOM, is included in Royal Decree 5/2023, approved on June 28, 2023, but is not developed and has large gaps. . The clinical paper around which much of the meeting revolved will soon be published, and it was also announced that the scientific society is working on other papers aimed at long-lived people in special populations such as children and adolescents or geriatrics.