Survivorship

It’s been 20 years since my cancer diagnosis, and in that time, I’ve changed significantly.

A procedure that targets and freezes nerves that were damaged during a mastectomy may be a safe and effective method of relieving pain in breast cancer survivors.

I’m surviving cancer while getting older, too — that means I can no longer do some of the things I did when I was younger.

I never thought I’d admit experiencing fear of cancer recurrence, but at a recent medical appointment I realized that I struggle with this fear daily.

The time after cancer treatment can be overwhelming, but great progress in survivorship care plans over the past two decades has provided better guidance for an easier transition.

For many cancer survivors, a dark cloud hangs over them after treatment ends, as they fear their disease coming back.

It is important for cancer survivors to know their risk of developing heart disease, even years after treatment has ended, as they may be underdiagnosed or undertreated for them.

Some cancer survivors might not have had the opportunity to preserve fertility prior to cancer treatment, leaving them unable to family plan.

One cancer survivor describes how making healthier choices in diet and exercise has improved her quality of life and relationship with others.

CURE® surveyed its audience to see what good habits they have picked up since being diagnosed with cancer. Here’s what they had to say.

I’m giving cancer’s “battle language” an update and focusing my survivorship plan on emotional wellbeing and honesty.

I'm no longer the "helpless patient with cancer," though sometimes I need a reminder to keep myself in check.

Cervical cancer survivor Ginny Marable heard about a story of a fellow cervical cancer survivor, Tamika Felder, not being able to preserve her fertility. The story moved Marable so much that she and her husband donated their embryos to Felder.

Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis, my only goal in life was for my son to turn 16 so he could drive me to and from the local bars. Now I can’t help but think that my cancer was meant for me to change my life.

As I recover from the traumatic effects of cancer, I’m realizing that success has much to do with mindset and optimism.

I must remember to be kind to myself, and not compare my current abilities to my pre-cancer days.

Cancer-related pain, especially when severe, is associated with negative effects on patients’ employment and financial status, recent findings showed.

The findings add to a growing body of literature that demonstrate coffee and/or tea consumption is not detrimental to breast cancer survivors, according to the study authors.

Although some advancements to boost minority and female enrollment onto cancer clinical trials have occurred since the passing of a law 20 years ago, those improvements have begun to level off, according to an expert.

After being a 20-year brain tumor survivor, I met with a genetic counselor and learned that I have a MUYTH gene mutation.

I was feeling fatigued after undergoing breast cancer treatment, but once I started walking multiple times a week, I noticed that I felt much better.

With society entrenched in an “infodemic,” it can be challenging for many patients with cancer to identify what information online is accurate. Recently, the development of a new tool may help patients decipher what news is misleading.

My oncology team and I decided that it was OK to decrease the frequency of cancer-related scans, leaving me both relieved and nervous.

I frequently relive the day I was diagnosed with cancer and realized that I may need to limit my exposure to other people’s cancer battles.

Beyond its lessons, cancer has also brought, along with the fear and anxiety, a conviction to empower myself and to create a life that I deserve: One in which joy can triumph over that fear and that anxiety.

After cancer, my “normal” life is long forgotten, but how can I get back to life as a person who is well?

Heartbreak and loss trail behind us every day in the cancer world. But so does understanding, friendship and love.

Culturally specific resources are needed to help fight against the stigmas Asian American cancer survivors and patients face, according to a group of experts.