ABSTRACT
The National Cancer Institute considers individuals as cancer survivors from the time of cancer diagnosis through the balance of his or her life. Family members, friends, and caregivers are also impacted by the survivorship experience and are therefore included in the definition. There is an increase each year in the number of individuals who have ever been diagnosed with cancer. Patients undergoing active treatment for cancer experience multiple symptoms, including fatigue, pain, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, constipation, numbness and tingling, and cognitive and sexual dysfunction. Gonadal toxicity and infertility are frequently feared long-term adverse effects of cancer treatment. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study has provided a wealth of information about individuals who survived at least 5 years after a diagnosis of cancer in their childhood or adolescence and has allowed researchers to monitor long-term sequelae of treatment. New aspects of caregiving are emerging with regard to the long-term psychosocial repercussions on the families of long-term cancer survivors.
