Nurses can refer patients to the 2012 Cancer Survivor Survey, designed by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to identify cancer survivors’ needs and how to get them the right resources.

"Too often, cancer survivors learn to live with the pain and pitfalls of this disease simply because they can’t find the right resources," Ruth Rechis, director of research and evaluation for the Foundation, said in a news release. "We want to change that, and this survey will help us help survivors. The more people who take the survey, the better we can build and refine programs offering tangible support to address the needs of survivors every single day."

The information learned from a similar survey in 2010 helped shape the organization’s navigation services, select community program grantees and direct policies over the past two years, according to the news release. With the 2012 survey, the Foundation seeks to survey only those who have been directly diagnosed with cancer. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and the information provided will help the Foundation continue its efforts to close the gaps and improve cancer support programs and services.

To develop this survey, the Foundation coordinated with the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to include elements of the Experiences with Cancer Survivorship supplement of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey.

Those qualified to take the survey can visit www.LIVESTRONG.org/survey2012.