Management of long-term gastric cancer survivors in Korea

The incidence of gastric cancer is high, and gastric cancer has one of the highest survival rates of any type of cancer in Korea. With increased long-term survival in a growing number of patients, more patients suffer from health problems such as treatment-related symptoms, malnutrition, chronic diseases, anxiety, and depression. Gastric cancer survivors also have a higher risk of developing a second primary cancer and recurrence. Therefore, survivorship care guidelines for gastric cancer survivors that address surveillance for recurrence, screening for second primary cancers, assessment and management of physical and psychosocial long-term effects of cancer and its treatment, health promotion, and care coordination are needed. The role of primary care physicians is essential for providing continuous care to gastric cancer survivors and their family.