Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN

Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN is an advanced practice oncology nurse who has over 45 years of cancer nursing practice, education, research, and management experience. She earned a PhD from the University of Utah, her MSN from Yale University, her BSN from Excelsior College, her Nurse Practitioner Certificate from the University of Maryland, and her diploma from Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing.

Dr. Mayer is past president of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), was a member of the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board (a Presidential appointment) and Board of Scientific Advisors. Dr. Mayer was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is active in ONS and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and is a Past Chair of the ASCO Survivorship Committee. She served as the Editor for the ONS’ Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing (CJON) from 2007-2015 and has published over 200 articles, book chapters and editorials on cancer related issues. She was awarded the ONS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and, in 2016, was appointed as the only nurse to Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel. She became the Interim Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at NCI from 2018-2020.

At UNC School of Nursing, she was the coordinator for the oncology focus of the adult and gerontology nurse practitioner program. Her program of research focuses on the issues facing cancer survivors and improving cancer care. She was the Director of Cancer Survivorship at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a nurse who worked on the “frontline” with cancer survivors, and as a cancer survivor herself, she brings a unique perspective to her clinical, research and health policy collaborations with the cancer community.

Mariotto, A., Enewold, L., Parsons, H., Zeruto, CA, Yabroff, KR, Mayer, DK. (2021). Cancer Care Workforce in the United States: Estimates and Projections of Utilization by Specialty. J Natl Canc Institute, in press.

Jung, A., Kay, S., Robinson, J., Bloodgood Sheppard, B., Mayer, DK. (2021). Large-Scale North American Cancer Survivorship Surveys: 2011-2019 Update. J Ca Surv, in press.

Terry, K., Wehner, K., Mayer, DK. (2021). Alcohol and Breast Cancer Survivors: Discussing Potential Risks for Informed Decisions. Clin J Onc Nsg, in press.

Salz T, Ostroff J, Oeffinger KC, Lynch K, Atkinson T, Kriplani A, Nightingale CL, Mayer D, Patil S, Salner AL, Davidson E, Lesser G, Weaver KE. (2021). The Head and Neck Survivorship Tool: Assessment and Recommendations (HN-STAR) Trial: A protocol for a cluster-randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation pragmatic trial to improve the ongoing care of head and neck cancer survivors. Contemporary Clinical Trials, in press.

Gillett, C., Mason, S., Fleming, L. Mayer, DK, Bryant, AL. (2021). An academic-practice partnership during COVID-19 pandemic: Transitioning from a clinical to virtual fellowship. J Clinical Nsg, epub ahead of print.

Bigelow, SM., Hart, E., Shaban, T., Rao, P., Khan, A., Baskaron, M., Baker, P., Schwartz, TA, Mayer, DK. (2021). A New Proactive Virtual Resource Center Navigation Model Identifies Patient Risk Factors to Reduce Barriers to Cancer Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Supportive Care in Cancer, in press.

Anderson, C., Mayer, DK, Nichols, HB. (2020). Trends in the proportion of second or later primaries among all newly diagnosed malignant cancers. Cancer, in press.

 Freedman RA, Minami CA, Winer EP, Morrow M, Smith AK, Walter LC, Sedrak MS, Gagnon H, Perilla-Glen A, Wildiers H, Wildes TM, Lichtman SM, Loh KP, Brain EGC, Ganschow PS, Hunt KK, Mayer DK, Ruddy KJ, Jagsi R, Lin NU, Canin B, LeStage BK, Revette AC, Schonberg MA, Keating NL. (2021). Individualizing Surveillance Mammography for Older Patients After Treatment for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and International Society of Geriatric Oncology Consensus Statement. JAMA Oncol. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.7582. Online ahead of print.

Jung,A., Crandell,J., Nielsen, M., Mayer, D., Smith, S. (2020) (accepted). Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Survivors: A population-based study, Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations, in press.

Biddell CB, Spees LP, Mayer DK, Wheeler SB, Trogdon JG, Rotter J, Birken SA.(2020). Developing Personalized Survivorship Care Pathways in the United States: Existing Resources and Remaining Challenges. Cancer. [in press]

Tan, K. R., Santacroce, S. J., Wood, W. A., Mayer, D. K., Santos, H., Mucha, P. J., Schwartz, T. A., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2021). Positive psychological states and stress responses in caregivers of adults receiving an allogeneic bone marrow transplant: A study protocol. Journal of advanced nursing, 10.1111/jan.14742. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14742

Mollica, M. Mayer, DK., ….Jacobsen, P. (2020) Follow-up care for Breast and Colorectal Cancer Across the Globe: Survey Findings from 27 Countries Running Headline: Global Survivorship Care. JCO Global Oncology;6:1394-1411.

Song L, Guo P, Tan X, Chen, RCC, Nielsen, ME, Birken, SA, Koontz, BF, Northouse,  LL, Mayer, DK. Enhancing survivorship care planning for patients with localized prostate cancer using a couple-focused web-based, mHealth program: the results of a pilot feasibility study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 17]. J Cancer Surviv. 2020;10.1007/s11764-020-00914-7. doi:10.1007/s11764-020-00914-7

Alfano, CM., Mayer, DK, Beckjord, E., Ahern, DK,  Galioto, M., Sheldon, LK.,  Klesges, LM.,  Aronoff-Spencer, E, Hesse, BW.  (2020). Mending Disconnects in Cancer Care: Setting an Agenda for Research, Practice, and Policy. JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 4:539-546.

Noonan D., LeBlanc M., Conley C., Benecha H., Leak-Bryant A., Peter K., Zimmerman S., Mayer DK. & Smith SK.  (2020) Quality of Life and Impact of Cancer: Differences in Rural and Non-Rural Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors.  Journal of Rural Health.  May 30. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12420. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32472708

Chan, R., Mayer, DK., Koczwara,B., Loerzel, L., Charalambous, A., Agbejule, C.,  Howell, D. (2020). Building Capacity in Cancer Nurses to Deliver Self-Management Support: A Call for Action Paper. Cancer Nursing;43(5):341-342

Howell, D., Mayer, DK., Fielding, R., Eicher, M. , Verdon ck-de Leeuw, I., Johansen, C., Soto-Perez-de-Celis, E., Foster, C., Chan, R., Alfano, C,. Benedic, C., Hudson, S., Jefford, M. , Lam, W., Loerzel, V., Pravettoinni, G., Rammant, E., Shapira, L., Stein, K., Kocswara, B. and members of the Global Parnters for Self-Management in Cancer (GPS). (2020). What happens to patients after the clinic visit?  A call to action for self-management in cancer care. JNCI, Jun 11:djaa083. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djaa083. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32525530

Hirschey, R., Nyrop, K., Mayer, DK. (2020). Healthy Behaviors: Prevalence of Uptake Among Cancer Survivors. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2020 Oct 1;24(5):19-29.

Hoover, R. & Mayer, DK. (2020) HPV Knowledge and Education. Clin J Oncol Nurs 24 (3): 257-263.

Jung, A., Nielsen, M., Crandell, J., Palmer, M., Smith, S., Bryant, A., Mayer, D. (In press). Health-Related Quality of Life among Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Survivors: A Population-Based Study, BJU International.

Birken, SA., Grewe, MB, Haines, E., Hwang, S., Jackson, A., Bozkurt, B., DeWalt, D., Mayer, D., Weinberger, M., Nickolich, S., Kimel-Scott, K., Leeman, J. (2019).  Using practice-based evidence to optimize survivorship care: Results from a pilot test of Supporting Transitions AfteR Treatment (START). J Cancer Survivorship, in press.

Sheeran, P., Jones, K., Avishai, A., Symes, Y. R., Abraham, C., Miles, E., Wright, C. E., Mayer, D. K., & Ribisl, K. M. (2019). What works in smoking cessation interventions for cancer survivors? A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 38(10), 855–865. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000757

VonAh, D., Brown, CG., Brown, SJ., Bryant, AL., Davies, M., Dodd., M., Ferrell, B., Hammer, M., Knobf, MT., Knoop, MT., Lobiondo-Wood, G., Mayer, DK., Miaskowski, C., Mitchell, SA., Song, L., Bruner, DW., Wesmiller, S., Cooley, ME. (2019) Research Agenda for the Oncology Nursing Society: 2019-2022. Oncology Nursing Forum, 46(6):654-669

Qan’ir, Y., DeDeaux, D., Godley, P.A., Mayer, D. & Song, L. (2019). An Integrative Review of Management of Androgen Deprivation Therapy-Associated Hot Flashes in Men with Prostate Cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 46(4):E107-E118.

Alfano, CM., Jefford, M., Maher, J., Birken, S.A., Mayer, DK. (2019) Building Personalized Cancer Follow-up Care Pathways in the US: Lessons Learned from Implementation in England, Northern Ireland, and Australia. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book; 39:625-639.

Symes, Y. R., Ribisl, K. M., Boynton, M. H., Westmaas, J. L., Mayer, D. K., Golden, S. D. (2019). Dual cigarette and e-cigarette use in cancer survivors: An analysis using Population Assessment of Tobacco Health (PATH) data, Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 13(2):161-170.

Nekhlyudov, L., Molllica, MA., Jacobsen, PB., Mayer, DK., Shulman, LN., Geiger, AM. (2019). Developing a Framework for Measuring Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care:Implications for Clinical Care, Research and Policy. JNCI, ;111(11):1120-1130.

Mayer, DK and Alfano, CM (2019). Personalized risk-stratified cancer follow-up care: Its potential for healthier survivors, happier clinicians, and lower costs. JNCI, 111(5):442-448.

Sheeran, P., Abraham, C., Jones, K., Villegas, M. E., Avishai, A., Ellinger, H., Miles, E., Gates, K. M., Wright, C. E., Ribisl, K. M., & Mayer, D. K. (2019). Promoting physical activity among cancer survivors: Meta-analysis and Meta-CART analysis of randomized controlled trials. Health Psychology, 38(6), 467-482.

Alfano, C., Mayer, DK, Smita Bhatia, S., Maher, J., Scott, JM., Nekhlyudov, L., Merrill, JK., and Henderson, TO. (2019). Implementing Risk-Stratified Cancer Follow-up Care in the United States: Proceedings from an American Cancer Society – American Society of Clinical Oncology Summit. CA” A Journ Clinicians, 69(3):234-247

Symes, Y., Westmaas, YJ, Mayer, DK,³ Boynton, MH, Ribisl, KM, Golden, SD. (2018). The impact of psychosocial characteristics in predicting smoking cessation in long-term cancer survivors: A time-to-event analysis. Psycho-Oncology, epub ahead of print 8/18.

Birken, SA, Clary, AS, Berstein, J, Bolton, J, Tardif-Couglin, M, Mayer, DK, Deal, AM, Jacobs, SR. (2018). Strategies for successful survivorship care plan implementation: Results from a qualitative study. J Oncol Practice, 14(8):e462-e483.

Jung A, Nielsen ME, Crandell JL, Palmer MH, Bryant AL, Smith SK, Mayer DK. Quality of Life in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. Cancer Nurs. 42(3): E21-E33.

Jacobsen, JB., DeRosa, AP, Henderson, TO, Mayer, DK., Moskowitz, CS., Paskett, ED., and Rowland, JH. (2018). Systematic Review of the Impact of Cancer Survivorship Care Plans on Health Outcomes and Healthcare Delivery. J Clin Oncology, 36(20):2088-2100

Birken SA, Urquhart R, Munoz-Plaza C, Zizzi AR, Haines E, Stover A, Mayer DK, Hahn EE. (2018). Survivorship care plans: are randomized controlled trials assessing outcomes that are relevant to stakeholders? J Cancer Surviv 12(4):495-508.

Song L, Dunlap KL, Tan X, Chen RC, Nielsen ME, Rabenberg RL, Asafu-Adjei JK, Koontz BF, Birken SA, Northouse LL, Mayer DK. (2018). Enhancing Survivorship Care Planning for Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer Using a Couple-Focused mHealth Symptom Self-Management Program: Protocol for a Feasibility Study. JMIR Res Protoc.;7(2):e51.  *Valle CG, Queen TL, Martin BA, Ribisl KM, Mayer DK, Tate DF.(2018). Optimizing Tailored Communications for Health Risk Assessment: A Randomized Factorial Experiment of the Effects of Expectancy Priming, Autonomy Support, and Exemplification. J Med Internet Res., 20(3):e63. †‡ Ehrenzeller MF, Mayer DK, Goldstein A. (2018) Smoking Prevalence and Management Among Cancer Survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum., 45(1):55-68.

Mellin, C., Lexa, M., Bryant, A., Mason, S., & Mayer, DK. (2018). Utilizing Education to Improve Antiemetic Guideline Adherence on an Adult In-Patient Unit for Patients Receiving Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22(3):297-303.

Steffen, LE, Johnson, A., Levine, B., Mayer, DK. (2017) Met and Unmet Expectations for Breast Reconstruction in Early Post-Treatment Breast Cancer Survivors. Surgical Plastic Nursing, 37(4):146-153.

Brant, JM, Mayer, DK. (2017). Precision Medicine: Accelerating the science to revolutionize cancer care. Clin J Oncol Nurs., 21(6):722-729.

Doris Howell, Deborah K Mayer, Richard Fielding, Manuela Eicher, Irma M Verdonck-de Leeuw, Christoffer Johansen, Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Claire Foster, Raymond Chan, Catherine M Alfano, Shawna V Hudson, Michael Jefford, Wendy W T Lam, Victoria Loerzel, Gabriella Pravettoni, Elke Rammant, Lidia Schapira, Kevin D Stein, Bogda Kocswara, Global Partners for Self-Management in Cancer, Management of cancer and health after the clinic visit: A call to action for self-management in cancer care, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Mayer DK, Landucci G, Awoyinka L, Atwood AK, Carmack CL, Demark-Wahnefried W, McTavish F, Gustafson DH. SurvivorCHESS to increase physical activity in colon cancer survivors: can we get them moving? J Cancer Surviv. 2017 Oct 9. doi:10.1007/s11764-017-0647-7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28994035.

Birken SA, Mayer DK. Survivorship Care Planning: Why Is It Taking So Long? Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN. 2017; 15(9):1165-1169. PubMed [journal] PMID: 28874600

Nekhlyudov L, Birken SA, Mayer DK. Living with advanced cancer and the role of the primary care provider: The missing piece in the survivorship discourse. European journal of cancer care. 2017; 26(3). PubMed [journal] PMID: 28497519

Park EM, Check DK, Song MK, Reeder-Hayes KE, Hanson LC, Yopp JM, Rosenstein DL, Mayer DK. Parenting while living with advanced cancer: A qualitative study. Palliative medicine. 2017; 31(3):231-238. NIHMSID: NIHMS840228 PubMed [journal] PMID: 27484674, PMCID: PMC5290215

Mayer DK, Nasso SF, Earp JA. Defining cancer survivors, their needs, and perspectives on survivorship health care in the USA. The Lancet. Oncology. 2017; 18(1):e11-e18. PubMed [journal] PMID: 28049573

Mayer DK, Deal AM, Crane JM, Chen RC, Asher GN, Hanson LC, Wheeler SB, Gerstel A, Green M, Birken S, Rosenstein DL. Using Survivorship Care Plans to Enhance Communication and Cancer Care Coordination: Results of a Pilot Study. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2016; 43(5):636-45. PubMed [journal] PMID: 27541556

Stover A, Irwin DE, Chen RC, Chera BS, Mayer DK, Muss HB, Rosenstein DL, Shea TC, Wood WA, Lyons JC, Reeve BB. Integrating Patient-Reported Outcome Measures into Routine Cancer Care: Cancer Patients’ and Clinicians’ Perceptions of Acceptability and Value. EGEMS (Washington, DC). 2015; 3(1):1169. PubMed [journal] PMID: 26557724, PMCID: PMC4636110

Halpern MT, Viswanathan M, Evans TS, Birken SA, Basch E, Mayer DK. Models of Cancer Survivorship Care: Overview and Summary of Current Evidence. Journal of oncology practice. 2015; 11(1):e19-27. PubMed [journal] PMID: 25205779

Mayer DK, Nekhlyudov L, Snyder CF, Merrill JK, Wollins DS, Shulman LN. American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical expert statement on cancer survivorship care planning. Journal of oncology practice. 2014; 10(6):345-51. PubMed [journal] PMID: 25316025

Mayer DK, Travers D, Wyss A, Leak A, Waller A. Why do patients with cancer visit emergency departments? Results of a 2008 population study in North Carolina. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2011; 29(19):2683-8. PubMed [journal] PMID: 21606431, PMCID: PMC3139372

Mayer DK, Carlson J. Smoking patterns in cancer survivors. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2011; 13(1):34-40. PubMed [journal] PMID: 21097514, PMCID: PMC3001958

Spector DJ, Mayer DK, Knafl K, Pusic A. Women’s recovery experiences after breast cancer reconstruction surgery. Journal of psychosocial oncology. 2011; 29(6):664-76. PubMed [journal] PMID: 22035539

Mayer DK, Ratichek S, Berhe H, Stewart S, McTavish F, Gustafson D, Parsons SK. Development of a health-related website for parents of children receiving

hematopoietic stem cell transplant: HSCT-CHESS. Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice. 2010; 4(1):67-73. NIHMSID: NIHMS194147 PubMed [journal] PMID: 19967409, PMCID: PMC3049177

Mayer DK, Terrin NC, Kreps GL, Menon U, McCance K, Parsons SK, Mooney KH. Cancer survivors information seeking behaviors: a comparison of survivors who do and do not seek information about cancer. Patient education and counseling. 2007; 65(3):342-50. NIHMSID: NIHMS19301 PubMed [journal] PMID: 17029864, PMCID: PMC5693234

Mayer DK, Terrin NC, Menon U, Kreps GL, McCance K, Parsons SK, Mooney KH. Health behaviors in cancer survivors. Oncology nursing forum. 2007; 4(3):643-51. PubMed [journal] PMID: 17573323

Mayer DK, Terrin NC, Menon U, Kreps GL, McCance K, Parsons SK, Mooney KH. Screening practices in cancer survivors. Journal of cancer survivorship: research and practice. 2007; 1(1):17-26. PubMed [journal] PMID: 18648941

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography.

My clinical and research interests include improving cancer care, including a focus on the transition of care when treatment ends, survivorship care plan development, implementation and evaluation. Specifically, I have used a health services approach to exploring emergency department and unplanned hospital use, health behaviors of cancer survivors, and eHealth interventions to improve health behaviors and optimizing the delivery of the survivorship care plan as a tool to improve communication and coordination of care among providers and survivors. I am a strong mentor for other health professionals and researchers with similar interests. As a nurse who works “frontline” with cancer survivors and as a cancer survivor myself, I bring a unique perspective to my work and extensive clinical, research and health policy collaborations with cancer survivors, primary care providers, cancer specialists and relevant cancer organizations.