Listening and Learning Together: Building a Bridge of Trust

TOWN HALL MEETING

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We would like to see more emphasis on healing (survivorship issues?).
Psychosocial research. How can support groups be emphasized as an important adjunct to active and post-therapy survivors?

NCI considers an individual to be a survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life. Because friends, family members, and caregivers are also affected by a cancer diagnosis, they are included in this definition. NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) was established in July 1996 in recognition of the large number of individuals now surviving cancer for long periods of time and their unique and poorly understood needs.

OCS supports and promotes research that examines and addresses the long- and short-term effects of cancer and its treatment. These include physical, psychological, social, and economic effects among pediatric and adult survivors and their families. Survivorship research focuses on the physical, emotional, social, and financial outcomes, beyond the treatment phase, and seeks to optimize the health and well-being of persons living with a history of cancer. Survivorship research also seeks to provide a knowledge base regarding optimal follow-up care and surveillance of new or recurrent cancers.

Research supported by OCS focuses on many aspects of survivorship. The primary areas of research include:

Chronic and late effects of cancer and its treatment.
Interventions.
Healthy lifestyle and behaviors.
Benefit finding and posttraumatic growth.
Family.

To learn more about the research supported and promoted by the Office of Cancer Survivorship, visit http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/ocs/research_areas.html or http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/ocs/.

Ending cancer treatment can be both exciting and challenging. Most people are relieved to be finished with the demands of treatment, but many also feel sadness and worry. Many are concerned about whether the cancer will recur and what they should do after treatment. Tools for survivors and their families can be found on the Office of Cancer Survivorship Web site at http://survivorship.cancer.gov. There you will find links to such resources as Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment, Siga adelante: la vida después del tratamiento del cancer, and Ways You Can Make A Difference in Cancer. These booklets provide a concise overview of survivor issues post-treatment, such as ongoing health needs, how to deal with your feelings, insurance, and employment, and information on getting involved with cancer-related activities. To view the Facing Forward series, visit www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/life-after-treatment.

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