| Summary: | December 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the United States (U.S.) National Cancer Act. Made into law under President Nixon, the Act would galvanize research on cancer control across the country. Remarkable progress resulted in prevention, earlier detection, more effective treatment and better supportive care for those at risk for or diagnosed with cancer. Testament to the success of these efforts is that incidence of cancer is declining steadily in the U.S., along with mortality. Whereas there were only three million cancer survivors in 1971, there are 16.9 million in the U.S., and over 42 million globally today. As the number of cancer survivors continues to increase, however, so too has our awareness of the long-term and late consequences of carrying a history of this disease. Cancer can adversely affect every aspect of a survivor’s well- being, not simply physical but also emotional, cognitive, social, economic and spiritual well-being. Survivors have taught us that concern about life after cancer must start at the time of diagnosis, and that there is a unique phase in the cancer control trajectory between treatment and end-of-life: “cancer survivorship”. In contrast to 1971, the goal of cancer care today is not simply to extend length of life, but to maximize cancer survivors’ “healthspan”, or ability to live well after cancer. In the era to come cancer rehabilitation needs to come into its own if we are to actively build upon our successes in cancer control nationally and reduce the burden of cancer globally.
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