PROFESSIONAL PATIENT NAVIGATION IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER LISE FILLION,MARIE DE SERRES,SANDRA COOK,RICHARD L. GOUPIL, ISABELLE BAIRATI, AND RICHARD DOLL OBJECTIVES: To discuss professional cancer navigation roles, models, implementation process and outcomes of patients and families dealing with head and neck cancers. One specific research is presented as an illustration. DATA SOURCES: Published scientific papers, research review articles, implementations studies. CONCLUSION: Two independent cohorts of patients with head and neck cancers were compared according to the presence of the professional navigator (Exposed cohort n¼83) or not (Historical cohort n¼75). The Exposed cohort showed a better profile on several indicators of outcomes. The results clearly indicate an association between the presence of the professional navigator with continuity of care (higher satisfaction and shorter duration of hospitalization), and empowerment (fewer cancer-related problems, including body images concerns, and better emotional quality of life). IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses can not only play an important role in continuity of care but also in supportive care by helping patients to cope better with cancer treatments, recovery or cancer progression and death issues. KEY WORDS: Patient navigator in oncology, oncology pivot nurse, continuity of care, empowerment, cancer adjustment. Lise Fillion, PhD, 1,2,3 Marie de Serres, MSc, 4 Sandra Cook, BA, HSM, 5 Richard L. Goupil, PhD, 2 Isabelle Bairati, 2-6 Richard Doll, MSW, MSc. 7 1 Universite´Laval, Faculte´desSciences Infirmie`res, Que´bec, Qc, Canada 2 Centre de recherche en cance´ro- logie de l’Universite´Laval, Que´bec, Qc, Canada 3 E ´ quipe de recherche de la Maison-Michel-Sarrazin, Que´bec, Qc, Canada 4 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Que´bec- Pavillon Hoˆtel Dieu de Que´bec, Que´bec, Qc, Canada 5 Cancer Care Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada 6 Direction de sante´ publique de la Capitale Nationale, Que´bec, Qc. Canada 7 B C Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada Address correspondence to Lise Fillion, Faculty of Nursing, 1050, rue de la Me´decine, Ferdinand-Vandry building, Laval University, Que´bec (Que´bec), Canada G1V OA6; e-mail: lise.fillion@fsi.ulaval.ca Ó 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 0749-2081/09/2503-$32.00/0. doi:10.1016/j.soncn.2009.05.004 212 Seminars in Oncology Nursing, Vol 25, No 3 (August), 2009: pp 212-221