Learn About Cancer »Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment

What is a Survivor Clinic?

When patients complete treatment at Fox Chase, our relationship with them does not end there. Through our Survivor Clinics, our Advance Practice Clinicians, (APCs) continue to build their relationship with our patients after cancer treatment.

Survivor Clinics are designed to:

• Address the unique health care needs of cancer survivors, who are living longer and better lives.
• Maximize each patient's quality of life.
• Provide wellness education and screening.
• Give patients a care plan to help coordinate their care with their other health care providers.
• Illustrate Fox Chase's commitment to the health of patients who have completed therapy.

Your Treatment Team

APCs are a specially trained group of health professionals - both certified registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants - who provide quality medical care and treatment to patients, under the guidance of their supervising physicians.

APC Qualifications:

• Have earned their master's degree.
• Have been medically trained in oncology.
• Have completed the health care professional training necessary to become either certified Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners.

APCs are responsible for:

• Caring for patients receiving primary treatment, as well as those in the Survivor Clinic.
• Seeing all Survivor Clinic patients, but consults with, or directly involves, the patients' attending physician whenever necessary.
• Ordering and interpreting blood work, diagnostic tests and radiologic scans.
• Prescribing and adjusting certain types of medications for patients.

Eligibility

Each cancer type has specific guidelines that must be met and agreed upon by your physician before you will be approved to enter a Survivor Clinic. Typically, all chemotherapy and radiation treatments must be complete and a specific time period for follow-up doctor visits must be met before patients can been seen in a Survivor Clinic.

Currently, Fox Chase has survivor clinics for breast, gastrointestinal, lung and thyroid cancer patients who have completed treatment.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your care, ask your doctor or the APC involved in your treatment, or call 1-888-FOX CHASE(1-888-369-2423).