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Adjustment to Life as a Cancer Survivor

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Abstract

As the population ages and oncologic treatments improve, the number of cancer survivors in the United States continues to grow. It is therefore important to understand survivors’ experience and offer evidence-based approaches to address concerns that arise or persist beyond the completion of primary oncologic treatments. Although most cancer survivors maintain or recover their psychological and physical health, a substantial minority exhibits sustained decrements. Focusing on the experience of cancer survivors after the completion of primary oncologic treatments, the authors of this chapter: (1) discuss the language and nature of cancer survivorship; (2) describe adaptive tasks during life after treatment; (3) characterize sociodemographic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal contributors to psychosocial and physical outcomes; (4) provide an overview of psychosocial interventions for long-term cancer survivors; and (5) offer suggestions for research on the promotion of well-being and health for cancer survivors.

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Acknowledgments

Portions of this chapter are based on Stanton, Rowland, and Ganz (2015). Partially supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (Stanton) and by a National Institute of Mental Health Predoctoral Research Fellowship (T32-MH 15750, Williamson).

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  1. UCLA Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Timothy J. Williamson & Annette L. Stanton

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  1. Timothy J. Williamson
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Correspondence to Annette L. Stanton .

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  1. Professor (ret), Uniformed Services University Founder, Editor in Chief, Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Michael Feuerstein

  2. Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Perini Family Survivors’ Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    Larissa Nekhlyudov

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Williamson, T.J., Stanton, A.L. (2018). Adjustment to Life as a Cancer Survivor. In: Feuerstein, M., Nekhlyudov, L. (eds) Handbook of Cancer Survivorship. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77432-9_3

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