Your Life Beyond Cancer
Completing cancer treatment is an emotional milestone. You may feel excited about the future but also anxious about what comes next. As you enter this new phase of your recovery journey, our team is here for you.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is home to a number of Cancer Survivorship Wellness Clinics that focus on your needs after cancer treatment. We work with you to develop an integrative cancer wellness plan that can help you thrive.
About Our Survivorship Wellness Approach
Life after cancer treatment can present different challenges. For example, you may be dealing with cancer treatment side effects like fatigue, pain, or memory difficulties (sometimes called “chemo brain”). Or you may be worried about your relationships, how you look, or your cancer coming back.
Our Cancer Survivorship Wellness Clinics can help you with these and other concerns. You can make your first survivorship appointment within six months of completing your treatment, with a referral from your oncology healthcare provider. Even if you’re still taking medicines, such as hormonal therapies, you’re welcome in our program.
Having a plan and a team behind you can help support you physically and emotionally. With us, you can find compassionate, multidisciplinary cancer survivor care.
Services Tailored to Your Needs
Your first visit to your Cancer Survivorship Wellness Clinic focuses on one primary objective: creating an individualized plan to help improve your quality of life.
The initial appointment also typically includes:
- A review of your health history, including your cancer diagnosis and treatment
- A complete physical exam
- A discussion of any side effects you’re experiencing and how to manage them
- An evaluation of your cancer risk and recommended screenings
- A discussion of available services and resources to help you achieve your health goals
- The creation of a personalized survivorship care plan for you and your doctors
If needed, you can return for a follow-up appointment with the team or individual providers. Depending on your care plan, you may receive the following survivorship services.
Your Team of Dedicated Experts
At Sylvester’s Cancer Survivorship Wellness Clinic, you can count on a whole team of experts to partner with you in your survivorship care. Having this collaborative approach can help you achieve the goals of your individualized care plan and improve your quality of life.
Members of your survivorship team may include:
- Oncologists who can follow up with you regularly and help manage any symptoms or concerns that arise.
- Nurse navigators to advocate on your behalf and help you access health resources, schedule appointments, and more.
- Nutritionists with expertise in promoting nutrition for cancer survivors and crafting customized eating plans.
- Certified lymphedema therapists who specialize in education and treatments to reduce lymphedema swelling.
- Exercise physiologists who can help you improve your strength and energy levels and support other health goals with personalized exercise support.
- Psychologists and sex therapists who are dedicated to helping you address emotional and intimacy challenges.
- Integrative medicine specialists who can help you combine conventional therapies and lifestyle changes to achieve your wellness goals.
Access to Advanced Care and Innovation
After cancer treatment, having a proven medical team on your side is important. As South Florida’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, Sylvester meets the rigorous standards of the NCI. We also provide cutting-edge treatments focused on beating cancer and improving your quality of life.
Through all aspects of your care and treatment, we want to make it easier for you to access the services you need. Options like telemedicine (virtual visits) and online Zoom exercise classes can help you get support from the comfort of your home.
Your Wellness Journey: What to Expect
Your wellness journey with our survivorship program starts by making your first appointment within six months of completing your cancer treatment. You’ll need a referral from your oncology provider to make an appointment.
You'll learn about cancer-specific wellness concepts during your first meeting with your multidisciplinary team. You’ll also complete a personalized wellness assessment and work with your care team on goal setting.
To learn more or request an appointment, call 305-243-4922 or email Survivorship Care.
Survivorship Support for the Long Haul
Just as you don’t fight cancer alone, you don’t need to face survivorship alone either. It’s natural to experience challenges even after your treatment ends. Your emotional and physical needs may change over time, but the support you can find through our survivorship program remains steadfast. Having a long-term plan can help you build connections in the community, enhance your well-being, and improve your quality of life.
Why Choose Sylvester
Sylvester is an NCI-designated cancer center. The National Cancer Institute has recognized Sylvester for its outstanding work conducting research in its laboratories, treating patients in its clinics and hospitals, and reaching out to medically underserved communities with innovative prevention strategies. This includes work to advance the field of lymphedema treatment and prevention – with a focus on improving the quality of life for many cancer survivors.
Comprehensive care. Our multidisciplinary team provides expert, compassionate care through every step of your cancer journey – from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship. We combine evidence-based practices, cutting-edge treatments, and innovative technologies with personalized, patient-focused care to help you achieve your individual health goals.
Research prowess. As an oncology care leader in the region, we continue to pursue cancer survivorship research and explore new ways to enhance cancer survivors’ health, wellness, and lifestyle beyond the initial diagnosis and active treatment period. By improving our understanding of cancer and its impacts, we’re working to enhance the quality of life for people in South Florida and beyond.