For the 18+ million cancer survivors in the U.S. today (a number projected to grow to 22+ million in the next few years), the end of treatment may be a major milestone, but it is far from the end of their care needs.
Survivorship typically begins after a member has completed active cancer treatment or is starting long-term treatment. While many assume this marks a return to “normal life,” survivors often face a “now what?” moment, uncertain of the appropriate next steps. Additionally, many survivors must navigate lingering symptoms, anxiety around recurrence, financial fallout from expensive treatments, and fragmented follow-up care.
Survivorship is a critical period where providing proactive, coordinated support can drive meaningful improvements in outcomes and satisfaction. Unfortunately, this phase remains a blind spot in traditional oncology care.
Fragmented post-treatment care creates confusion, fear, and perceived abandonment. Survivors often experience long-term side effects (e.g., fatigue, cognitive changes), and emotional and psychosocial distress, impacting outcomes and satisfaction:
Without survivorship support, these emotional and financial challenges compound, putting members at risk of losing progress made during treatment.
In addition to impacting members’ wellbeing, survivors often have complex clinical needs post-treatment. Without proactive support, they are more likely to experience avoidable challenges. For example:
Managing comorbidity risks: Without guidance around lifestyle interventions and decreasing risk factors, survivors may face elevated risks of common chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which are already more prevalent among cancer survivors.
Care fragmentation: While these risks can be manageable, many survivors are caught in a care vacuum. Most rely on oncologists (54%) or other specialists (26%) for post-treatment care, while only 19% report seeing a PCP who could help oversee their medical care. Yet, 38% say they would consider it—highlighting an untapped opportunity to reintegrate survivors into accessible, lower-cost care settings.
Financial toxicity: higher co-payments for cancer drugs have been associated with decreased adherence, with a drug discontinuation rates of ~50% for individuals facing out-of-pockets costs more than $2,000. Patients who experience financial toxicity are more likely to skip doses of medications, take less medication than prescribed, and delay or forgo necessary medical care and prescriptions.
These realities underscore the importance of survivorship: without structured support, members face mounting risks that directly impact both outcomes and overall value.
Thyme Care’s program, “Next Chapter Care,” is more than monitoring— it’s guided support through survivorship, a challenging and uncertain phase of life. Our program is designed to meet members exactly where they are, with personalized plans for their care, we offer a program that begins when people finish more intense cancer treatment or when they start long-term medications to decrease the chance of recurrence, in order to target the unique health concerns of this population.
Thyme Care’s program is rooted in national guidelines and tailored to cancer type, treatment history, and personal needs. Depending on the assessment feedback, our Care Team will direct their focus to three core areas:
Clinical and medication support: medical adherence, inpatient hospitalization prevention, comorbidity management, and coordination with primary care providers.
Lifestyle and physical recovery: Nutrition and dietary guidance (including alcohol reduction), exercise education, oncology-specific rehabilitation, and smoking cessation programs.
Whole-person wellbeing: Emotional and mental health support, return-to-work and daily routine rebuilding, and connections to survivor support groups and community programs.
Our survivorship program is led by Thyme Care’s new medical director Dr. Asma Dilawari, who is driving Thyme Care’s survivorship program expansion. The team includes:
Our team is focused on building scalable, tech-enabled survivorship models that extend value beyond active treatment, across types of cancer and treatment.
Through Thyme Care Connect, a dedicated platform for members to easily access support throughout their care journey, members can access a one-stop shop for continuous survivorship support:
24/7 on-demand access to our oncology-trained Care Team
Curated survivorship content: blogs, videos, recipes, educational modules, and peer support access—all in one place:
Wellness education (on-demand content)
Lifestyle modification support (diet, exercise)
Mental and emotional support
Screening and diagnostic support
Connection to peer support groups
For health plans and employers, supporting members beyond treatment is a strategic imperative.
Survivors face ongoing medication needs, mental health challenges, and a high risk of avoidable utilization. Without robust, comprehensive survivorship support, these downstream issues quietly accumulate– driving up spend, reducing productivity, and eroding member experience.
Survivorship care is no longer optional—it’s a defining component of high-value cancer care support. Thyme Care offers a scalable, clinically sound way to extend support and deliver measurable value in this critical phase.
Chat with our team here to learn more about partnering for better survivorship support for your cancer population.