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Patient Navigation in Cancer Care

The cancer navigator connects a person with cancer with the help and support they need. The goal of cancer navigation is to find ways to overcome issues that keep people from getting access to quality cancer care.  For example, navigators might help someone get a cancer screening and make sure that people who have abnormal test results get a follow-up visit. Or, the cancer navigator might help someone with cancer learn more about their cancer and its treatment. A cancer navigator might also help them manage money problems that come up during and after treatment. 

What Can a Cancer Navigator Do for Me?

The cancer navigator helps people with cancer deal with issues that prevent them from getting screened and diagnosed, accessing cancer care, and finding the help they need after cancer treatment. The navigator provides support to the person with cancer as well as their caregivers and families. 

Types of Cancer Navigators

Cancer navigators are trained to find and help address the needs of a person with cancer. But there are different kinds of navigators and they focus on different needs. A person with cancer may have one navigator or may work with several, based on their needs. 

How the American Cancer Society Supports Patient Navigation

The American Cancer Society has led and funded efforts to build cancer navigation programs, promotes public policy to support navigation, and studies the role and benefits of navigation.

Patient Navigation Training and Credentialing

The American Cancer Society is developing a training and credentialing program for professional patient navigators, supporting the navigation workforce in improving care and reducing disparities.

Help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

 
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