Cancer Survivorship at Siteman

What is Survivorship?

Siteman Cancer Center is redefining what it means to live with and beyond cancer. That starts with how we support survivorship – and the physical, mental and emotional resources that help you all along the way. Because we believe that survivorship starts with the first diagnosis, and we understand the ways cancer can affect every area of your life. 

Siteman approaches survivorship as the first step to treatment itself. Every offering that we’ve created has been inspired by people like you who have been there and has been based on proven practices for survivorship – including support for nutrition, physical activity, emotional well-being, financial and practical needs, and conversations about what matters most to you. 

START Strong Survivorship Clinic 

The START Strong Survivorship Clinic brings this philosophy to life from your very first visit. 

START stands for Support, Thrive, Advocacy, Resilience and Tools— the principles that guide every conversation and every care plan. 

From the first visit with our survivorship experts, the clinic is designed to help you focus on your whole health, not just your cancer treatment. Together, we’ll talk about what’s most important to you right now and connect you with resources and tools to help you feel your best during and after treatment. More info here (PDF).

Our goal is to help you live as well as possible during treatment, recover more completely afterward, and prepare for life beyond cancer. Through our support services, Siteman Cancer Center will help you and your loved ones navigate all the steps along the way – from finding your way around our facilities and connecting you to resources through social workers to providing support for your financial questions. 

Knowing how cancer emotionally impacts patients and their families, Siteman offers free comprehensive psychology services to help you through it. We can help you with everything from fertility preservation to pain and symptom management to the right support group for you. 

Long-Term Survivorship Care 

Cancer survivorship doesn’t end when treatment is over. Many people continue to experience physical, emotional, or cognitive effects months or even years after completing treatment. Others develop late effects that may not appear until long after therapy has ended. 

Whether you’re experiencing fatigue, numbness or tingling, memory concerns, sexual health changes, difficulty returning to work, anxiety about recurrence, or other ongoing symptoms, our long-term survivorship specialists are here to help. 

The good news is that many of these challenges can be improved. Through personalized survivorship care, rehabilitation, supportive therapies, and evidence-based interventions, we work with you to manage long-term and late effects of cancer so you can enjoy the highest possible quality of life. 

No matter where you are in your cancer journey, our Survivorship Program continues to partner with you and your oncology team to help you live well beyond cancer. 

How Can Siteman’s Survivorship Program Help Me?

The Survivorship Program at Siteman gives you information and support right from the start of your care. This program is designed to help you focus on your whole health, not just your cancer treatment. Together, you’ll talk with experts about what’s most important to you right now so we can connect you with resources and tools to help you feel your best during and after treatment.  

Our Siteman Survivorship specialists help patients address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and practical effects of cancer and its treatment. From managing long-term side effects and monitoring health after treatment to connecting patients with supportive services, rehabilitation, wellness programs, and counseling, our team helps survivors thrive beyond cancer. 

Siteman Survivorship can help: 

• Deal with the emotions of receiving a cancer diagnosis 
• Manage symptoms that happen during treatment 
• Connect to a community of people who can empathize with you 
• Work through complicated feelings that arise when treatment is over 
• Manage post-treatment scan anxiety 
• Deal with lingering physical, mental, and emotional side effects 
• Support positive lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or eating healthier 

We also have programs for your loved ones, including support groups and therapy. 

Our goals for survivorship are your goals. We will navigate alongside you, so you have what you need to help navigate your cancer your way.  

Common Questions About Survivorship at Siteman 

Every day, we counsel people who are living with or who have survived cancer. Many of the questions and themes are the same. So are some of the common misconceptions. 

How do I start with Siteman’s Survivorship Program?

We try to make connecting with services and becoming a part of our Survivorship Program easy. Our oncology-trained care coordinators – nurses who help with scheduling and navigation – can help you through the process. Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back at: 800-600-3606. 

You can also talk to your care team about ways you can get involved. 

Do the survivorship services at Siteman cost anything? 

Many of the support services for Siteman patients are free. This includes support groups, counseling services, and different types of therapy. 

The START Strong Survivorship Clinic is billed to insurance just as a normal oncology visit would be.  

If you want to make an appointment for free counseling through Siteman Psychology Service, call 314-747-5587 or ask your Siteman doctor to refer you. Counseling services are available for your family members, too. Learn more about programs available to you. 

What services and resources are a part of Siteman’s Survivorship Program? 

You are eligible for services and resources at Siteman when you are diagnosed. So we address the needs you have in that moment and beyond.  

Our Survivorship Program addresses the impact cancer has on your life from social and emotional to physical and practical.   

How does Siteman support adult survivors of childhood cancer?

If you are an adult survivor of childhood cancer and have ongoing health concerns, we can connect you to the right specialists and create a follow-up plan. To make an appointment with the Siteman Lifelong Outcomes Clinic, call 314-747-3046.

What types of survivorship support groups does Siteman run?

We listen to our patients and their needs, so many of our support groups at Siteman were ones that were requested. Each support group has a specific focus- some are affinity groups, like age or cancer type, and all are open, active, and welcoming to new participants. 

Many groups require registration for planning purposes. Current groups include:

• All Hands In: Caregiver Support Group 
• The Golden Thread: Childhood Cancer Survivor Group (Ages 18+) 
• Expressive Arts Support Group 
• Head and Neck Support Group 
• KidsCan! (Ages 5-12) 
• Living Empowered: Metastatic Breast Cancer Support Group 
• LGBTQ+ Support Group 
• Lung Cancer Support Group 
• Prostate Cancer Support Group 
• Siteman Strong Exercise Group (Ages 18+) 
• Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program Support Group (Ages 45 and younger) 

Where can I access the services and support that are part of survivorship? 

Survivorship services take place across all seven of Siteman’s locations and virtually. Some offerings, like therapy sessions are offered completely online. Others, like support groups, have a set room, time, and day that repeats throughout the year.  

Because some support requires a referral, bring up any needs you have to your care team. They will help guide you. 

Can the Survivorship Program help navigate my lingering side effects from cancer treatment?  

Yes. Even after you have completed your cancer treatment, Siteman Cancer Center is still here with you – and we can help with delayed side effects or ongoing concerns. WashU Medicine physicians at Siteman Cancer Center can help you manage things like: 

• Fatigue 
• Swelling of arms and legs (lymphedema) 
• Changes in sexual function 
• Muscle weakness 
• Numbness and tingling 
• Skin changes 
• Anemia

Does Siteman offer survivorship clinics for specific cancer types? 

Right now, the Siteman’s START Strong Survivorship Clinic supports patients with breast and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The clinic is expanding, and future plans include welcoming patients with any cancer diagnosis. Physicians refer their patients directly to the clinic to begin support.  

The START Strong Survivorship clinic creates space for conversations that are often difficult to fully address during routine oncology visits, including lifestyle factors, emotional well-being, physical functioning, fatigue, stress and practical concerns related to cancer care. It is a holistic care model that plans to expand and include all Siteman patients in the future. 

Does Siteman offer survivorship programs for pediatric cancer? 

Yes. In fact, Siteman runs a specific program that follows children, young adults, and adults who survived childhood cancer. who’ve had cancer treatment. It’s called the Lifelong Outcomes Clinic. It seeks to prevent, detect, and treat any delayed complications of pediatric cancer. 

Through this clinic, we can refer you to WashU Medicine physicians, such as cardiologists and pulmonologists. We can also connect you with psychologists and social workers, depending on what you/your child needs. The program also includes a follow-up care plan based on the earlier cancer diagnosis and the potential late effects of cancer treatment.  

Why is survivorship important?

Siteman treats thousands of newly diagnosed cancer patients every year. Each day, we are focused on the survivorship of each one of those individuals and their loved ones. Survivorship is important for the ongoing health and wellbeing beyond cancer, but it can mean different things to different people. 
 

Research consistently shows that factors like physical activity, nutrition, weight management, and emotional well-being can meaningfully improve quality of life, reduce the risk of recurrence, and support better long-term outcomes. But it is difficult to balance these in the flow of routine oncology visits. Siteman’s survivorship program is designed proactively, so survivorship begins at diagnosis. This is an intentional way to weave visits with essential, holistic care. Because we start your care with this dedicated time, you have expert guidance, and access to a full range of supportive care resources, at the very start of your cancer journey.  

This structure ensures you do not have to wait until you are in a critical stage or after treatment ends to ask for support.