BMT and Cellular Therapy Survivorship Program

Our blood and marrow transplant (BMT) and cellular therapy survivorship program offers you a lifetime of care. Your survivorship care team watches for health issues that can arise long after your blood and marrow transplant or cellular therapy. Our goal is to help you and your caregivers live healthy lives after treatment.

We are part of your care team starting with your diagnosis. Survivorship doctors and nurses offer education on your condition along with support for the physical, psychological, spiritual and financial needs that can follow cancer treatment.

Your first survivorship visit will take place at the end of follow-up care. You will meet with your survivorship team for an hour-long appointment that will include screening for secondary cancers, exploring healthy lifestyle recommendations or modifications and assessing for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Your survivorship care team is knowledgeable about the effects of cancer treatments as well as long-term use of medications you may need to continue taking. Your care team will focus on your overall wellness, including your heart and bone health as well as cognitive and emotional health.

Your care team will discuss any concerns you may have and create an individual survivorship care plan for you.

You may be referred to a specialist, depending on your needs. These may include:

• Dietitian
• Oncology specialist
• Dermatologist
• Dentist
• Ophthalmologist
• Social worker
• Financial counselor

After this first meeting, you’ll visit your survivorship team on an as-needed basis, perhaps as little as once a year. They will be a resource for you for life. You can contact them at any time if you have any complications or concerns. They can seamlessly transfer your care to your BMT or cellular therapy doctor if needed.

It is our goal to help you address any symptoms or concerns you experience following your treatment. We are here to help you manage those needs and optimize your quality of life.

Annual survivorship visit

During your annual visit, your provider will review your current quality of life, including mood, overall energy and sexual health, and discuss any concerns you may have. You will receive a complete physical exam. Your BMT and cellular therapy survivorship care team will provide the results to your primary care doctor.

We also provide education about your treatment, possible short- and long-term side effects, and how to identify and manage complications. Your care team will watch for cancer recurrence and manage your treatment side effects.

Your annual survivorship visits include:

• Physical exam and symptom assessment
• Education on your treatment and possible short- and long-term effects
• Identification and early intervention to prevent and manage complications and overall health
• Assessment and management of side effects of your treatment
• Assessments of your heart health
• Assessments of your bone health
• Assessments of your quality of life, including emotional and sexual health
• Risk assessment and education for family members

BMT and cellular therapy survivorship team

The BMT survivorship team was formed December 2016. Members include:

• Nausheen Ahmed, MD, program director
• Cherie Morey, APRN
• Sarah Fitzmaurice, APRN

Location

The blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapy survivorship team sees patients on Level 3 of the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Belinder Road in Westwood, Kansas. The cancer care pavilion offers free valet parking at the entrance and free garage parking east of the entrance.

Helping our community

The BMT and cellular therapy survivorship program fulfills a need in our patient community:

• We specialize in caring for the needs of posttransplant and cellular therapy patients transitioning to life after treatment.
• Survivors have a unique set of healthcare needs due to late and long-term effects of chemotherapy and/or radiation.
• Posttransplant and cellular therapy challenges affect the physical and mental health of survivors, as well as their quality of life.