What term is used for cancer treatment programs focusing on living beyond cancer?

The term "survivorship" refers specifically to cancer treatment programs that emphasize life after cancer diagnosis and treatment. It encompasses a range of services and support designed to help individuals transition from active treatment to living a healthy and fulfilling life post-cancer. This includes managing long-term side effects, psychological support, health screenings, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional guidance to improve overall well-being.

Survivorship is a crucial component in the continuum of cancer care, recognizing that cancer's impact can extend beyond the initial treatment phase. Programs focused on survivorship aim to address the unique challenges faced by cancer survivors, promoting not just survival but also quality of life.

In contrast, terms like care plan, outcomes, and treatment do not capture the holistic and forward-looking nature of experiencing life after cancer. A care plan is typically more about the treatment strategy during active disease, outcomes are results from treatment and not specifically about ongoing life after cancer, and treatment refers broadly to the medical interventions used to combat cancer. Therefore, survivorship is the most accurate term for the focus on living beyond cancer.