Cancer Survivorship

cancer.The challenge that this brings, however, is in providing resources, services, information, support, and education to meet the needs of cancer survivors, their families, and caregivers. It is estimated there are approximately 12 million cancer survivors in the United States today. According to groups including the National Cancer Institute, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, an individual is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life. Family members, friends, and caregivers are also impacted by the survivorship experience and are therefore included in this definition. The population of cancer survivors will continue to grow rapidly as our population ages and as advances in early detection and treatment allow more and more pediatric and adult cancer patients to live through and beyond cancer. Currently, more than 65% of adult and 78% of childhood cancer patients survive for at least 5 years beyond initial diagnosis—but not without a cost. Rather than being seen as a death sentence as in previous generations, cancer is becoming conceptualized more as a chronic disease, especially for cancers such as prostate, breast, and colon where survival rates are quite high for patients when diagnosed in early stages. This chronic disease model of cancer argues for a greater focus on quality of life and health promotion to optimize functioning and prevent additional cancers as well as other chronic diseases for which cancer survivors may be at greater risk, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Whereas most of the focus of cancer therapy is, importantly, on eradicating or controlling the disease and saving lives, many survivors experience an array of enduring physical symptoms which may develop or persist for years after the completion of active cancer treatment. Not only can the disease itself cause lasting damage, but the side effects of treatment approaches— primarily chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and hormone therapy—can permanently damage various organ systems and can cause long-term functional impairment. Although there