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.

• Nearly 12 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, health promotion, support services, and fertility preservation. In light of these concerns, public health initiatives aimed at understanding and preventing recurrence and the long-term effects of treatment, as well as encouraging healthy behaviors, 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:

• Assisting states, tribal groups, territories, and Pacific Island jurisdictions in their efforts to address cancer survivorship through Comprehensive Cancer Control initiatives.
• Conducting pilot projects in different clinical settings to create and deliver a written summary of cancer treatment, future care, and available support services (survivorship care plan) to cancer patients and their primary care providers.
• Reviewing issues related to breast and ovarian cancer and its treatment, including treatment decisions, employment, relationships, and psychosocial concerns.
• Estimating the number of breast cancer survivors who may be at risk for infertility because of their cancer treatment, and may require preservation counseling or fertility services.
• Funding the development and distribution of a broad range of cancer survivorship informational materials through a National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society and the George Washington University Cancer Institute, this resource center will enhance the development, implementation, and evaluation of priorities of the National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies. Included in these goals will be strategies to promote health, understand and prevent late effects of cancers, reduce cancer mortality, and enhance quality of life among cancer survivors.
• Supporting national organizations to develop and share information that will enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors, their family, and caregivers; and increase knowledge about survivorship among the medical community.

More Information

• Cancer Survivorship
• Supervivencia al cáncer