Supporting health promotion in adults with cancer

Health promotion includes motivating people to embrace behaviors that both improve their emotional and physical quality of life and reduce their risk for premature morbidity and mortality. Although the majority of adults treated for cancer in the United States live free of disease for many years, many survivors experience lasting side effects and complications of treatment. Others encounter recurrences or new cancers that require additional treatment. Cancer is an incentive for many survivors to make health-promoting lifestyle changes. This article delineates the need for health promotion among adult cancer survivors, describes a cancer support model that facilitates personal behaviors that promote health, and discusses design implications for cancer supportive services.