Cancer Survivorship Services
About survivorship services
Advances in cancer treatment are allowing more cancer patients to live longer, but cancer journeys are never simple, short or one-size-fits-all. Having empathetic providers and receiving personalized compassionate care can make all the difference in your recovery and remission.
The survivorship services are designed with you and your loved ones in mind to help you during and after treatment. Main Line Health Cancer Care partners with patients and caregivers to provide comprehensive survivorship services offering education, support and connections.
Patients who receive survivorship care gain a better understanding of how to monitor their bodies for signs of recurrence, identify signs of late treatment side effects and collaborate with their health care providers to prevent related diseases.
What to expect
We will help you begin the healing process and aim to achieve the following:
- Optimize your quality of life by introducing community or national programs to help you cope with any social, practical and emotional needs and find a "new normal"
- Educate you on how to identify and manage possible late and long-term side effects of treatment
- Review recommendations for appropriate cancer follow-up care including screenings, nutrition and exercise
- Introduce preventative care strategies to help eliminate or minimize new health problems
- Create a personalized Survivorship Care Plan including summary of treatments received and who to contact with any concerns
- Communicate recommendations and other relevant information to your health care providers
Available programs
Cancer care programs and support groups
Cancer is a part of many people's stories, some uplifting and others heartbreaking. It's an experience that no one wants to know — and yet so many people do, either personally or through someone they care about.
From initial diagnosis to cancer treatment to survivorship, having this illness, or knowing someone who is battling it, can make you feel alone. However, there are others who share your hopes, fears and realities. You can find social connections and practical knowledge from people who have been through similar experiences as you.
Cancer support groups are made to meet you where you are. Whether you want to sit and listen to others for a while or jump right in with your own experiences, you can find hope, guidance and friendship in a community made up of people like you.
We offer free educational seminars and support groups to assist patients and their loved ones. Join us from the comfort of your home computer.
Cardio-Oncology Program
Cancer treatment can sometimes worsen an existing heart problem or create a new one. This happens when a cancer drug or radiation therapy causes unintended harm to the heart or blood vessels. The Main Line Health Cardio-Oncology Program is devoted to protecting heart health after a cancer diagnosis. The cardio-oncology team keeps pace with advances in the field, integrating the latest techniques and strategies for identifying, preventing and managing heart complications in patients undergoing cancer treatment or being followed in cancer surveillance programs. Many of the adverse effects of cancer treatment on the heart, although unintended, can be anticipated and therefore monitored, managed or avoided altogether.
Hair Loss Support
The prospect of losing your hair can be a scary part of facing cancer treatment. Not all cancer treatments cause hair loss, but for those that do, we have services available to you, including a scalp cooling system to help retain your hair during chemotherapy and free wig salons. At the salon, we will teach you about selecting, styling and caring for a wig and your scalp. We also provide connections to local salons and resources to support your goals during and after cancer treatment.
To schedule an appointment at the Riddle Hospital Salon, call 484.227.3794. To schedule an appointment at Bryn Mawr Hospital Salon, call 484.565.5789
Integrative Services
It's natural for people with cancer to experience psychological, emotional and physical effects of treatment. Some patients may feel stress related to pain and recovery while others may have feelings of anxiety or depression. We address these aspects of the patient experience, offering integrative services for patients in the hospital as well as for patients receiving outpatient care. We’re pleased to be able to offer these services at no additional cost to our patients.
Integrative services available at Main Line Health include art and music therapy, nutrition consultation, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, reiki, aromatherapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction.