Cancer Survivorship Issues
Over the past three decades, we’ve seen great progress being made in extending cancer survival. The risk of dying from cancer has steadily declined, and people with cancer are living many years beyond their initial diagnosis.
However, cancer incidence is on the rise. In 2025, new cancer cases in the U.S. are projected to top 2 million, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. That’s almost 5,600 cancer diagnoses a day. In the U.S. alone, this adds up to more than 18 million people living with a history of cancer.
On top of that, more people are being diagnosed with cancer at younger ages. This means more cancer survivors now have a longer life expectancy in which to deal with all the difficulties that come along with cancer survivorship.
As many cancer survivors will tell you, the effects of cancer don’t end when treatment does. Cancer survivors face ongoing, sometimes lifelong, hardships because of their disease.
In addition to battling a serious illness, cancer survivors may also contend with
- Limited access to cancer specialists and promising new treatments
- Rapidly rising medical costs
- Chemotherapy and prescription drug shortages
- Denial of health insurance and life insurance coverage
- Difficulty finding or keeping jobs
- Increased risk for developing second cancers and other health conditions
- Economic burdens due to mounting medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced productivity
- Lasting financial challenges, including higher rates of bankruptcy and debt collections, as well as lower credit scores for years after their diagnosis
- Mental and emotional struggles
- Strains on personal relationships
- The profound fear of cancer recurrence
That’s why the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation believes we must continue to advocate for more resources, research, and survivor-friendly legislation to improve quality of life for cancer survivors – during and after cancer treatment. We urge everyone who takes part in National Cancer Survivors Day® celebrations to not only recognize those who are living with a history of cancer but also raise awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face beyond treatment.
Cancer Survivorship Resources
The NCSD Foundation encourages a greater commitment to resolving the issues of cancer survivorship through public education and awareness. We’ve put together this list of resources to help you learn more about the challenges faced by cancer survivors today.
- National Cancer Plan
- Survivorship Issues from the American Cancer Society
- National Cancer Institute’s Survivorship Resources
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Patient Resources
- Cancer Survival Toolbox
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Section on Cancer Survivorship Care Plans
- Post-Treatment Survivorship Resources from CancerCare
- Cancer Support Community – Navigating Cancer
- Coping with Cancer‘s Survivors Guide
- Health Disparities and Cancer
- American Cancer Society’s Survivorship Care Plans
- Oncolife Survivorship Care Plan
- Triage Cancer – Cancer Finances: A Toolkit for Navigating Finances After Cancer
- Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition
- Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief
- Dollar For: Help with Medical Bills
- Financial Toxicity and Cancer Treatment
Cancer Survivorship – The Numbers
- American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures
- AACR Cancer Progress Report Highlights Innovative Research, Novel Treatments, and Powerful Patient Stories
- AACR Releases Cancer Disparities Progress Report
- American Cancer Society Releases Latest Global Cancer Statistics; Cancer Cases Expected to Rise to 35 Million Worldwide by 2050
- Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer
- New ACS Study Shows Cancer Mortality Rates Among Black People Declining, but Remain Higher Than Other Racial and Ethnic Groups
- Families With a History of Cancer Face Various Types of Debt Even Years After Diagnosis, According to New Findings
- Estimates and Projections of the Global Economic Cost From 2020 to 2050
- Study Finds the Financial Hardship Caused by Cancer Is Long-Lasting for Many Working-Age Adults
- Financial Burden of Cancer Care
Cancer Survivorship News
- Cancer Diagnoses Linked to Lasting Financial Challenges
- Recommendations to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs for People with Cancer Detailed in New ASCO Position Statement
- NCCS Presents The State of Cancer Survivorship: 2024 Survey Results
- New ACS Study Shows Cancer Mortality Rates Among Black People Declining, but Remain Higher Than Other Racial and Ethnic Groups
- Prostate Cancer Patients Face Financial Toxicity: Who Is Affected and How Do They Cope?
- New Study Shows Cancer Mortality Higher Among American Indian and Alaska Native Individuals; Colorectal Cancer Rapidly Increasing Before Age 50
- Continued Access to Fertility Preservation Critical for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients, Following SCOTUS Decision
- Black Patients With Triple-negative Breast Cancer May Be Less Likely to Receive Immunotherapy Than White Patients
- Among Cancer Survivors, LGBTQ+ Individuals Report Higher Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions, Disabilities, Other Limitations
- Cancer Moonshot
- Cancer Incidence Rate for Women Under 50 Rises Above Men’s
- For childhood cancer survivors, inherited genetic factors influence risk of cancers later in life
- ASCO Updates Clinical Practice Guidelines on Fertility Preservation in People with Cancer
