VICTORIA E. COSGROVE, PhD

IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATMENT for childhood cancer are a huge success story in modern medicine. However, survivors and their families often face many physical and psychological challenges after the end of treatment for their cancer. Late effects from treatment are common as is struggling to find a new normal in life. Survivors sometimes experience a range of strong emotions as they adjust to after-cancer life (i.e., fear of recurrence, anxiety, guilt, grief, gratitude, and joy). Some survivors experience these reactions even if they remember very little-or even nothing-about their cancer experience. Knowing that other survivors and members of their families share these emotions alleviates loneliness.