Continuity of care issues for cancer patients and families.

As survival rates for cancer patients increase, there is a compelling need to recall Montaigne's words that the value of life does not rest on the number of days, but on the quality of it. The problems that arise for patients and their families require integrated acute care and community-based services that consider the networks that make up an individual's life: families, friends, work, school, and religious and social institutions. Coordinating efforts to provide home care, psychosocial and educational supports, and information to help those who are experiencing the disease can ultimately help them develop effective coping strategies to maximize their healthy functioning. If we are to heed we must continue to promote much-needed dialogue among various branches of the health care community and representatives of the public and private sectors to identify problems, fill gaps in services, then develop interventions and understanding which will address the increasing needs encountered by all persons affected by cancer.