Cancer pathway – home

Support after having been diagnosed with cancer

Anyone who is diagnosed with cancer will be included in the Cancer pathway - home. The pathway offers you an opportunity to discuss your overall personal condition and the aspects that are most important to you. The main aim is to ensure that you experience a well-organised and predictable pathway based on your needs for services and support.

What does the pathway consist of?

The pathway consists of three interaction points at which you will be offered appointments to identify and discuss your overall personal condition. The appointments will focus on this rather  than the cancer treatment itself.

If you require support, we will share information about this with those responsible for providing it. There may also be a need for dialogue between the health service and other services, such as labour and welfare services from NAV.

Appointments will be offered:

• At the hospital after you have been diagnosed with cancer
• By your local authority around 3-4 months after you have been diagnosed with cancer
• By your local authority around 12-18 months after you have been diagnosed with cancer

At what specific time the appointments will take place, will take into account whether you would like to attend or not, and when you are able to do so.

If you would like you are welcome to bring a relative or friend along to the appointment.

Your appointments will be with a doctor, nurse, social worker, cancer coordinator or other health professional.

Relevant topics for the appointments:

• Family situation and network
• Work, school, education
• Finances and living conditions
• Help and adaptations at home
• Rehabilitation
• Physical activity and physical function
• Nutrition, food and meals
• Looking after your own health
• Personal resources, learning and coping
• Leisure and social activities
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Oral and dental health

The topics discussed at each appointment will depend on your overall personal condition and what you would like to talk about. The assessment is intended to help identify your needs.

Discontinuation of the pathway

The final interaction point in the pathway occurs 12-18 months after you were diagnosed with cancer. This does not mean that the support will come to an end. Further support from the hospital, your GP and/or other local authority services will be adapted to your needs.

The pathway itself can be found on the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s website (in Norwegian).