• Cancer

    Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Cancer survivorship needs are unique for each survivor

a Caucasian woman sitting on a couch, wearing a headscarf, perhaps a cancer patient having had chemotherapy, smiling and talking to a young African American or Latino boy, maybe her son

June is National Cancer Survivor Month, and National Cancer Survivors Day was recognized on Sunday, June 6. Both events recognize and celebrate the millions of adults and children in the United States who have experienced a cancer diagnosis.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the U.S. Each one experiences cancer survivorship differently.

Sometimes cancer survivorship means a cure. Sometimes it means living with the cancer. In other cases, survivorship involves a new normal that requires adapting to the permanent side effects of cancer treatment. Cancer survivorship is as unique as each cancer survivor.

On this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Kathryn Ruddy, associate director of Patient and Community Education and co-chair of the Symptom Control/Survivorship Cross-Disciplinary Group at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discusses the needs and concerns of cancer survivors of all ages.

Watch: Dr. Ruddy discuss cancer survivorship care planning

Read the full transcript.

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For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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