Background
The growing number of cancer survivors, coupled with their unique needs during and after cancer treatment, necessitates a comprehensive strategy for survivorship care. Many of the components of survivorship care are best managed by primary care providers (PCPs), including screening for subsequent malignancies, managing chronic conditions, and promoting healthy behaviors. Therefore, it is critical to support PCPs by identifying effective strategies to provide quality survivorship care.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) and the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) have supported several initiatives to advance research on primary care and cancer survivorship. Described below are the activities, funding opportunities, and resources in this important area of research.
Funding Opportunity
RFA-CA-23-025: Addressing the Needs of Cancer Survivors in Primary Care (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
The purpose of this RFA was to support studies that aim to develop and test primary care practice-level and health system-level interventions and strategies that promote high-quality care for cancer survivors during and/or after the treatment period. Interventions were required to target primary care practices or health systems that deliver primary care. This research will inform the critically needed evidence base for delivery of high-quality survivorship care provided by PCPs.
This RFA had a receipt date of July 2023. More information is available here.
Enhancing Capacity for Primary Care Research in Cancer Survivorship: A Workshop for Action
In February 2024, DCCPS sponsored Enhancing Capacity for Primary Care Research in Cancer Survivorship: A Workshop for Action to discuss actionable opportunities for impact in this field. This meeting, which included over 200 attendees, focused on three areas: system-level interventions, challenges in identifying survivors within primary care practices, and mentoring and team building for research success. A key next step in this work will be the development of a community of practice focused on enhancing capacity in this area.
Workshop-related Materials
- Agenda with video links
- Executive Summary
- Examples of Scientific Communities of Practice
- Fireside Chat (video) - Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG)
- Fireside Chat (video) - Cancer Survivorship Provider Network (CSPN)
- Speaker Bios
- Relevant Publications
Other Events
Dr. Simon Craddock Lee – Optimizing Care Delivery for Cancer Survivors: Engaged, Pragmatic, Multi-team and Multi-level (October 2023 OCS Director’s Series webinar)
Dr. Ray Chan – Innovations in Survivorship Models of Care (February 2023 OCS Director’s Series webinar)
Dr. Shawna Hudson – Cancer Survivorship Healthcare Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities Integrating Primary Care (September 2021 OCS Director’s Series webinar)