"Cancer is not just a medical challenge. Survivorship needs involve the entire span of a patient's physical, emotional, social and financial experience--all of which bear great influence on healing and quality of life. Doctors can and should broaden their view of this disease and form or affiliate with multidisciplinary practices or clinics that can offer a comprehensive approach to survivorship care. A diagnosis of cancer is the beginning of an entirely new life for the patient, and doctors need to embrace that reality in order to enhance the prospects of successful treatment and the ultimate well-being of their patients."


Indeed, with few notable exceptions (e.g., minor surgical resection of skin cancer) oncology treatment leaves people more disabled than they were prior to diagnosis and exposes them to long-term complications and potentially secondary malignancies. Of course, an uncontrolled malignancy would eventually result in mortality, but it’s important to recognize the significant morbidities that result from cancer therapies.

Thus, the idea that survivorship should be a distinct phase of cancer care is taking hold and is the healthcare model of the future. Issues being discussed in survivorship includes:

Pain Fatigue Deconditioning Reduced physical strength Reduced range of motion of joints Decrease cardiovascular capacity Depression/Anxiety Osteoporosis/Osteopenia Heart disease (future) Diabetes (future) Second malignancies Recurrence of primary malignancy