Cancer Plan Minnesota
Goal 4: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship
Support every person through cancer care and beyond.
Cancer care does not begin or end with treatment. For many people, a diagnosis marks the start of a lifelong journey shaped by the complexity of treatment, the realities of survivorship, and the need for ongoing support. Advances in therapy now offer more targeted and effective options, but also introduce rising costs, difficult decisions, and logistical and emotional challenges. These experiences extend beyond the individual to impact family members, caregivers, and entire communities.
The Centers for Disease Control defines a ‘cancer survivor’ as anyone from the time of diagnosis through the rest of their life, whether living with active cancer or cancer-free after treatment. This definition also extends to caregivers, family members, and friends who are affected by a cancer diagnosis.
Cancer Plan Minnesota includes strategies to ensure people with cancer receive timely,
culturally responsive care. It outlines steps to expand access to palliative and hospice care, strengthen care coordination, and support the long-term health and wellbeing of both survivors and caregivers across Minnesota.
Objectives
- 4.1: Culturally responsive cancer treatment
- 4.2: Palliative care
- 4.3: Hospice care
- 4.4: Survivor support
- 4.5: Caregiver support & inclusion
4.1: Culturally responsive cancer treatment
Increase access and availability of cancer treatment and survivorship care.
Strategies:
- Support the implementation of alternative models for rural oncology care to allow patients to receive cancer treatment close to home.
- Implement programs that alleviate transportation-related barriers to cancer care and survivorship services.
- Advocate for policies that reduce administrative barriers to cancer treatments.
- Raise awareness among people with cancer about the benefits of biomarker testing and precision medicine.
- Advocate for policies that protect, maintain, and expand health insurance coverage for cancer care, patient navigation, and survivorship services.
- Implement programs that enhance patient navigation and care coordination.
4.2: Palliative care
Expand access to palliative care.
Strategies:
- Educate people with cancer and their care partner about palliative care.
- Train healthcare providers on facilitating serious illness conversations respecting culture, faith, and spirituality, and primary palliative care skills.
- Protect and improve health insurance coverage for palliative care across care settings.
- Advocate for policies and implement training programs that increase availability of pediatric palliative care services.
- Advocate for policies and implement training programs that increase availability of palliative care services in rural areas.
- Provide social worker support to assist people with cancer and their care partner in healthcare aspects of advanced care planning.
4.3: Hospice care
Expand access to hospice care.
Strategies:
- Educate people with cancer and their care partner about hospice care.
- Train healthcare providers on facilitating conversations about hospice, respecting culture, faith, and spirituality, and making appropriate referrals to hospice care.
- Advocate for policies and implement training programs that increase availability of pediatric hospice care.
- Advocate for policies and implement training programs that increase availability of hospice care services in rural areas.
- Train healthcare providers to increase use of concurrent pediatric hospice and active cancer treatment services.
- Advocate for policies that expand health insurance coverage of concurrent hospice and active cancer treatment services for adults with terminal illness.
4.4: Survivor support
Increase access to rehabilitation and support services for cancer survivors.
Strategies:
- Promote the use of patient navigation services for cancer survivors.
- Educate people with cancer and their care partner on the importance of risk factor reduction and social support known to influence treatment and survivorship.
- Provide tailored monitoring and follow-up care after acute treatment.
4.5: Caregiver support and inclusion
Increase access to appropriate caregiver support services.
Strategies:
- Conduct outreach and education for cancer care partners on the importance of maintaining healthy behaviors and available support services.
- Train healthcare providers to facilitate culturally responsive conversations about the importance of caregiver well-being and available resources that promote caregiver mental, emotional, spiritual, and logistical support.