Bridging the Gap The 7 Roles of a Sarcoma Nurse Navigator in a Resource-Limited Setting
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Sarcomas are rare cancers that pose complex treatment and psychosocial challenges, particularly in resource-constrained settings like the Philippines. Navigation plays a vital role in bridging gaps in care delivery. This article aims to define and describe the roles of a Sarcoma Nurse Navigator in a Philippine tertiary referral hospital and evaluate how these roles align with existing global literature. Using personal narrative and experience-based reflection, the authors identified seven core roles performed by the Sarcoma Nurse Navigator. The identified roles include: (1) Advocacy and Assessment, (2) Bridge to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), (3) Care Coordination, (4) Data Management, (5) Emotional Support, (6) Follow-up Care, and (7) Guidance for Resource Mobilization and Access Support. These roles reflect the different challenges cancer patients face in the Philippine setting and may serve as a template for other navigation programs in the country.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Franzoi IG, Granieri A, Sauta MD, et al. The psychological impact of sarcoma on affected patients. Psychooncology. 2023;32(12):1787-97. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37930090 https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6240 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6240
Wang Q, Liu Q, Ho KY, et al. Experiences and needs of patients with sarcoma: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025;76:102890. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40250283 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102890 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102890
Fernandez RAT, Ting FIL. Achieving health equity in cancer care in the Philippines. Ecancermedicalscience. 2023;17:1547. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37377687 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10292855 https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2023.1547 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2023.1547
Freeman HP, Rodriguez RL. History and principles of patient navigation. Cancer. 2011;117(S15):3537–40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21780088 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4557777 https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.26262 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.26262
Gabram SG, Lund MJ, Gardner J, et al. Effects of an outreach and internal navigation program on breast cancer diagnosis in an urban cancer center with a large African-American population. Cancer. 2008;113(3):602-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18613035 https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.23568 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.23568
Krok-Schoen JL, Oliveri JM, Paskett ED. Cancer care delivery and women’s health: the role of patient navigation. Front Oncol. 2016;6(2). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26858934 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4729879 https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2016.00002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2016.00002
Koffi KG, Silué DA, Laurent C, et al. AMAFRICA, a patient-navigator program for accompanying lymphoma patients during chemotherapy in Ivory Coast: a prospective randomized study. BMC Cancer. 2019;19:1247. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31870438 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6929302 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-019-6478-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-019-6478-3
Gaston CL, Taleon K, Barsales K, et al. The effect of a patient navigator on treatment abandonment and follow-up for high-grade osteosarcoma patients in the Philippine General Hospital. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021;22(9):2873–7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34582656 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8850873 https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.9.2873 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.9.2873
American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Cancer program standards 2012: Ensuring patient-centered care. 2012. Accessed October 2025. https://apos-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CoCStandards
Department of Health (DOH). Implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 11215, otherwise known as the National Integrated Cancer Control Act. 2019. Accessed October 2025. https://careph.org/carephwp2/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/RA_11215_National_Integrated_Cancer_Control_Act_NICCA
Doerfler-Evans RE. Shifting paradigms continued—the emergence and the role of nurse navigator. J Thorac Dis. 2016;8(Suppl 6):S498-500. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27606079 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4990669 https://doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2016.04.03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2016.04.03
LaRosa KN, Stern M, Lynn C, et al. Provider perceptions’ of a patient navigator for adolescents and young adults with cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2019;27(11):4091-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30778757 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6698436 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04687-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04687-3
LaRosa KN, Stern M, Bleck J, et al. Adolescent and young adult patients with cancer: perceptions of care. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2017;6(4):512-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28537818 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5725627 https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2017.0012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2017.0012
Pautasso FF, Zelmanowicz AM, Flores CD, Caregnato RCA. Role of the nurse navigator: integrative review. Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2018;39:e20170102. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30043944 https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2018.2017-0102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2018.2017-0102
Domingo JB, Davis EL, Allison AL, Braun KL. Cancer patient navigation case studies in Hawai’i: the complimentary role of clinical and community navigators. Hawaii Med J. 2011;70(12):257-61. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22187512 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3242420
Phillips S, Villalobos AVK, Crawbuck GSN, Pratt-Chapman ML. In their own words: patient navigator roles in culturally sensitive cancer care. Support Care Cancer. 2019;27(5):1655-662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30109486 Phttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6449285 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4407-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4407-7
Moffitt K, Brogan F, Brown C, et al. Statewide cancer clinical trial navigation service. J Oncol Pract. 2010;6(3):127-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20808555 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2868637 https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.200006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.200006