Cancer Survivorship
Millions of Americans are cancer survivors, living with, through, and beyond cancer. As the number of cancer survivors grows, CDC is working with partner organizations to help survivors throughout their cancer experience.
The good news – people are living longer after a cancer diagnosis.
- More than 11 million Americans are alive after being told they have cancer.
- Due to medical advances, people are living many years after a cancer diagnosis.
- About two-thirds of people with cancer are expected to live at least 5 years after diagnosis.
However, low-income men and women and those with little or no health insurance are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, when survival times are shorter.
Life After Cancer
Cancer survivors often face physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges as a result of their cancer diagnosis and treatment. Public health professionals are striving to address survivorship and quality of life issues such as the coordination of care, patient-provider communication, palliative care, pain management, and fertility preservation. In light of these concerns, public health initiatives aimed at understanding and preventing secondary disease, recurrence, and the long-term effects of treatment are essential.
Cancer survivors are at greater risk for recurrence and for developing second cancers due to—
- The effects of treatment.
- Unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
- Genetics.
- Risk factors that contributed to the first cancer.
What CDC Is Doing
CDC's cancer survivorship activities include:
- Gathering information about cancer survivors through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to plan, implement, and evaluate cancer control strategies.
- Studying various aspects of survivorship, including—
- Barriers to receiving appropriate follow-up care and practicing healthy behaviors after colorectal (colon) cancer.
- The effectiveness of a nationally available survivorship program among a disadvantaged population.
- Types of physicians who provide long-term care to cancer survivors.
- Quality of life related to men's choice in prostate cancer treatment.
- Supporting the development and distribution of a broad range of cancer survivorship informational materials through the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LIVESTRONG National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center.
- Funding national organizations to develop and share information that will enhance the quality of life for hematologic (blood) cancer survivors, family, and caregivers, and increase knowledge among the medical community.
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