What does it mean to be a cancer survivor?
A person is a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the rest of life. That is how the National Cancer Institute puts it. You don't have to finish treatment to be called a survivor. Survivorship begins at diagnosis.
There are many types of survivors. They include people living with cancer and people free of cancer. What being a survivor means to you may change over time. Some people prefer another word for themselves entirely.
Survivorship covers a lot of ground. It includes adjusting to life after treatment and follow-up medical care. It also includes late effects of treatment, which may show up months or years later, and family issues. For many people, life after treatment means finding a "new normal." That is less about getting back to how things were. It is more about finding what's normal for them now.
Whatever the word means to you, support is there at every stage. Your care team can help with follow-up care plans. They can help you manage physical and emotional changes. And they can help you cope with the fear that cancer might come back.
Want the full picture? Read our complete explanation: Cancer Survivorship and Life After Treatment
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