Survivorship
The path to achieving a new
normal.
A person who has had cancer is commonly called a survivor.
According to cancer.net, cancer survivorship has at least two common meanings:
Having no signs of cancer after finishing treatment.
Living with, through, and beyond cancer. This means that cancer survivorship starts at diagnosis. It includes people who receive treatment over a longer time. Their treatment can lower the chance of the cancer coming back or help to keep the cancer from spreading.
The phases of survivorship
There are three phases of survivorship:
- Acute survivorship starts at diagnosis and goes through to the end of initial treatment. Cancer treatment is the focus.
- Extended survivorship starts at the end of initial treatment and goes through the months after. The effects of cancer and treatment are the focus.
- Permanent survivorship is when years have passed since cancer treatment ended. There is less of a chance that the cancer may come back. Long-term effects of cancer and treatment are the focus.
Survival statistics
The number of people who have had cancer has gone up greatly over the last 45 years in the United States. In 1971, there were 3 million people with cancer. Today there are more than 16.9 million.
- About 67% of today’s cancer survivors were diagnosed 5 or more years ago.
- About 17% of all cancer survivors were diagnosed 20 or more years ago.
- Nearly half (47%) of survivors are age 70 or older.
Most cancer survivors have had common cancers:
- 23% – breast cancer
- 21% – prostate cancer
- 9% – colorectal cancer
- 8% – cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancers
- 8% – melanoma
Many emotions go through a person’s mind when a cancer diagnosis is made. It can be frightening, stressful, surprising, confusing.
But you know what it isn’t? Easy.
There are millions of adults and children in the United States who are cancer survivors. Many say that although they were relieved when treatment ended, it was hard to transition to a new way of life. It was like entering another world where they had to adjust to new feelings, new problems, changes in support, and different ways of looking at the world.
The team at the Cancer Center are here and ready to help you achieve a new normal.
