June is recognized worldwide as Cancer Survivorship Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of the experiences and needs of people living with and beyond cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, a cancer survivor is anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis, regardless of where they are in their treatment or life journey. The number of cancer survivors is growing as advances in screening, early detection, and treatment improve outcomes. These figures highlight survivorship as an increasingly important phase of cancer care, though every survivor’s experience is unique.
For many, finishing treatment brings relief, but also uncertainty. While life is often expected to quickly return to “normal,” survivorship frequently marks the beginning of a new chapter involving ongoing physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges. As regular clinical contact decreases, survivors may need to adjust to a loss of structure while managing lasting effects such as fatigue, cognitive changes, sexual health concerns, or fear of recurrence. Emotional responses like anxiety, sadness, or anger may also surface once active treatment ends.
As healthcare professionals, we witness these experiences every day. This Month is an opportunity to recognize and honour these diverse experiences while highlighting the needs of both survivors and their support networks, including family and caregivers who play a crucial role throughout the journey. Because recovery from cancer is multifaceted, survivorship care should be equally comprehensive. Effective survivorship care may include follow-up appointments, surveillance for recurrence, monitoring for late and long-term effects of treatment, guidance on symptoms that require medical attention, support for healthy lifestyle practices, and, when appropriate, ongoing anticancer treatment. A survivorship care plan can help individuals understand what to expect after treatment and support their long-term health and well-being. As the number of cancer survivors grows worldwide, strengthening survivorship care and integrating it into national cancer strategies will be increasingly important for long-term health and well-being.
Sources:
The Lancet. Cancer care: beyond survival. Lancet. 2022;399(10334):1441. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00698-5.
American Cancer Society. After cancer treatment is finished [Internet]. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; [cited 2026 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/cancer-control/en/booklets-flyers/after-cancer-treatment-is-finished.pdf
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Patient guide on survivorship [Internet]. Lugano: ESMO; [cited 2026 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.esmo.org/for-patients/patient-guides/survivorship
Coltrera F. Cancer survivorship: what comes next after treatment. Harvard Health Publishing [Internet]. Harvard Medical School; [cited 2026 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/cancer-survivorship-what-comes-next-after-treatment