Living after cancer: challenges in being a survivor

Concerns about survivorship and the needs of cancer survivors are occurring with increasing frequency (Ferral, Virani, Smith & Juarez, 2003; Curtiss & Haylock, 2006). Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer have resulted in an ever-growing cadre of individuals who are survivors of the disease. In United States alone, there are more than 10 million cancer survivors (ACS, 2005). In Canada, there are almost 800,000-a comparable number given the country's population (NCIC, 2006). Approximately 60% of adults who are diagnosed with the disease and 78% of the children are alive at five years (ACS, 2005). Given the expectation that the number of people diagnosed with cancer will double in the next 40 years, we can expect the number of survivors will also continue to increase. Living after a diagnosis of cancer and its subsequent treatment is not without its challenges. We are only now beginning to recognize some of the concerns and issues survivors face and what a vulnerable population these individuals constitute. The growing number of individuals in our midst has allowed us to start learning about the challenges survivors can face on a daily basis. Their voices are being heard as advocacy group representatives speak out about their needs and the gaps in cancer service delivery. We are beginning to identify the spectrum of late complications survivors may experience with the potential to compromise quality of life. We are also beginning to recognize that the late and long-term effects are more prevalent, serious, and persistent than was originally expected.