Muna Al-Khaifi, GP Oncologist at Sunnybrook and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Part 1: Primary Care and Cancer Survivorship – We Can Do Better
With more people living beyond cancer, our cancer centres are busier than ever. I truly believe primary care can and should play a bigger role in survivorship care.
Family doctors already excel at comprehensive, continuous, and coordinated care – exactly what survivors need.
Think about how we manage hypertension or diabetes in primary care:
– We monitor regularly and check current status.
– We screen for long-term complications such as peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, and kidney problems.
-We support lifestyle changes — diet, exercise, and stress management.
– We connect patients to community resources, including dietitians, social workers, and rehabilitation programs.
– We involve caregivers to help with treatment and ongoing support.
Why can’t we apply the same structured approach to cancer survivorship?
A primary care survivorship framework should include:
– Surveillance for recurrence or new primary cancers
– Assessment and management of long-term or late side effects
– Screening for treatment-related complications and comorbidities
– Support for emotional, sexual, and physical well-being
– Connection to community and supportive services
That being said, we know some survivors have more complex needs and benefit from a shared-care model involving both their primary care physician and primary oncologist, with access to multidisciplinary expertise when needed at Cancer Centre or rehabilitation programs.
Given my expertise as a family physician with additional training in oncology and survivorship, I am confident that this partnership model ensures safe, effective, and holistic care for cancer survivors – closer to home.
Based on evidence, we also know that many survivors report being highly satisfied when their care is delivered or shared with their family doctor, valuing the continuity, accessibility, and trust that primary care provides.
To be continued.”
More posts featuring Muna Al-Khaifi on OncoDaily.