Cancer survivors need more integrated care pathways

In late 2016 I led a significant new research programme on cancer survivorship, which was  published in early 2017. Providing integrated care to cancer survivors is becoming a global challenge for policymakers, employers and healthcare professionals as more and more people live with and beyond cancer. Our research highlights that there are still significant gaps in the level of support to cancer survivors.

Highlights from the research:

  • A new multi-pronged research programme by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) looks at global cancer survivorship and the need for integrated care across the spectrum of the cancer community.
  • Cancer survivors face a range of physical, mental and emotional health challenges as well as financial difficulties.
  • As part of the research programme The EIU conducted a survey that highlights employers’ concerns about reintegrating cancer survivors into the workplace.
  • Primary-healthcare professionals face growing demands on their time and training needs and often lack the information for integrated care.
  • Despite these challenges, the topic of cancer survivorship is not yet on the health-policy agenda in most countries.

The number of people living with cancer is growing. This positive trend presents challenges for patients, healthcare systems, employers and policymakers, which are addressed in a new research programme published today (February 2nd) by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Global cancer survivorship: the need for integrated care, commissioned by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The EIU research highlights that cancer survival rates are improving across the globe. For example, according to data from the US National Cancer Institute, a person diagnosed with cancer in the US had a less than 50% chance of surviving for five years in 1975; that probability had increased to nearly 70% by 2012. Coupled with an increase in incidence, this means that the number of people living with or beyond cancer is growing. This increase has given rise to concerns about the quality of survival.

Cancer survivors face significant challenges that extend far beyond the immediate physical impact of the disease and treatment, including mental and emotional challenges as well as financial difficulties. Care pathways that map treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare from start to finish, with structured and systematic communication and co-ordination, could help survivors navigate these challenges.

Primary-healthcare professionals face growing demands on their time and often lack the information and resources needed for integrated cancer care. Hence, information flows from specialist facilities, support and training, and health-system financing must improve accordingly.

These challenges can be amplified by concerns about workplace discrimination. A recent global survey by The EIU of 500 employers in 20 countries in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa on the subject of cancer in the workplace found that 44% were concerned about reintegrating cancer survivors into the workplace. As the top area for improvement, employers identified the need to improve training to prepare managers to deal with direct reports who are ill.

Policymakers in many countries are only just beginning to address survivors’ needs. Although progress has been made in terms of the number of countries with national cancer plans and cancer registries, there is limited evidence that many policymakers understand survivors’ manifold challenges.

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