According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), cancer care encompasses more than the acute illness phase, or the time when cancer-related symptoms rapidly worsen1. Instead, it runs on a continuum consisting of: prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care.
Because cancer care is long-term and ongoing, self-management plays a vital role for patients who are navigating the symptoms and side effects of treatment and their condition. Let’s talk more about self-management and why it’s important in cancer care.