Tertiary prevention: implications for improving the quality of life of long-term survivors of cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of the incidence, epidemiology, and appropriate screening for second primary malignancies, as well as the nursing implications of tertiary cancer prevention.


METHODS
Published review articles, book chapters, research reports, and the clinical experience of the author.


CONCLUSIONS
Many persons successfully treated for malignancy are at risk for a second malignancy. This risk is related to shared risk factors, genetic predisposition, and the toxic effects of therapy. Persons particularly at risk are those who have been successfully treated for breast, gynecologic, colorectal, skin, and lymphoma malignancies.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses need to be knowledgeable regarding the principles of tertiary prevention, be able to identify persons at risk, and provide appropriate patient education and psychosocial support on how to manage the risk and detect second malignancies early.
Mahon
Suzanne M
SM
Division of Hematology & Oncology, and Adult and Older Adult Nursing, Saint Louis University, MO 63110, USA. mahonsm@slu.edu
D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors