Disease-Specific Survivorship

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The effects of cancer and its treatment can be long-lasting, even once your active treatment has finished. At Fred Hutch, we consider survivorship an important part of your care, and we continue to support you along the way because your care does not stop when your active treatment is complete.

Under the guidance of your existing care team, our Disease-Specific Survivorship program ensures you’re well equipped in this new phase, by addressing physical, psychosocial, and emotional effects, coordinating referrals and supportive care services, and working together to create a care plan.

Transitioning to Survivorship Care

Disease-specific survivorship care will begin when your care team determines you’ve completed active treatment. How the end of active treatment is defined depends on your disease type and the plan your oncologist has created. Sometimes, patients who are still on endocrine or long-term maintenance treatments may be ready to start survivorship care.

What to Expect During a Disease-Specific Survivorship Visit

  • Monitor for recurrence, based on your cancer type
  • Provide recommendations for care, surveillance, and screenings
  • Address late and long-term physical, psychosocial, and emotional effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment
  • Share healthy lifestyle recommendations
  • Provide referrals to specialists or supportive care services
  • Coordinate with your primary care provider, eventually transitioning your care back to your PCP with a care plan

How This Care Differs from the Fred Hutch Survivorship Clinic

The Disease-Specific Survivorship program is designed to be a continuation of your active care at Fred Hutch, specifically for patients who have just completed treatment.  Your appointments will be led by Advance Practice Providers, and you’ll still have access to your existing oncologists. Over the course of your appointments, you’ll review survivorship topics and complete a treatment summary and care plan. Once you’re ready, you’ll have a seamless transition to your primary care provider for continued monitoring.

The Fred Hutch Survivorship Clinic is designed a little differently as it is available for patients at any point during their care. This also includes patients whose care took place outside of Fred Hutch and those with metastatic disease. The Survivorship Clinic does not provide surveillance for cancer recurrence.

Care for Complex Survivorship Needs

Patients with complex needs, such as people with multiple cancer diagnoses, those with metastatic disease, or patients experiencing many long-term effects from their treatment may be referred to the Fred Hutch Survivorship Clinic for additional support.

Disease-Specific Survivorship FAQ

Once you enter the survivorship phase of your treatment, you’ll primarily see the nurse practitioner or physician assistant who has already been part of your care team. These advanced practice providers (APPs) know you and your history and are specially trained in survivorship care. If additional care is required, you may be able to see your oncologist.

Patients who completed their treatment outside of Fred Hutch can receive survivorship care at the Fred Hutch Survivorship Clinic.

Patients with metastatic cancer can receive survivorship care at the Fred Hutch Survivorship Clinic.

Disease-Specific Survivorship Program Leads

Vidhya Nair, DO
Medical Director of Adult Cancer Survivorship 

Theresa Wittenberg, MS, PA-C
APP Survivorship Senior Program Manager 

Contact: survivor@fredhutch.org