For many long-term survivors, late effects are not new, but it is encouraging to see the medical literature continuing to validate just how serious and long-lasting they can be. This important article reports that survivors of childhood cancer age 50 and older still face higher risks of second cancers, serious chronic health problems, frailty, and premature death, especially those who were treated with radiation. It is a powerful reminder that these health issues are real, treatment-related, and deserving of lifelong follow-up and screening.

As more people live many years beyond cancer, it is becoming increasingly clear that survivorship does not end when treatment does. A recent article in Knowable Magazine explores the growing need for better care after cancer, especially for survivors still dealing with lasting effects years later. These can include heart problems, cognitive changes, infertility, second cancers, and emotional challenges. The article is a helpful reminder that survivorship care should be about more than remission. It should also support long-term health,

Radiation therapy, like surgery and chemotherapy, is a mainstay of cancer treatment. The reason radiation is used to treat cancer is that it is usually toxic to the fast growing cancer cells while supposedly having little adverse effects on the slow growing and relatively radiation resistant normal body cells. Unfortunately, normal cells are often affected by radiation in a variety of ways, especially over time.

This risk assessment tool predicts risk of heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and stroke by age 50 among survivors of childhood cancer. It uses information from the CCSS papers, “Individual prediction of heart failure among childhood cancer survivors” and “Prediction of ischemic heart disease and stroke among childhood cancer survivors”, which created clinically useful models with readily available demographic and cancer treatment information.

The Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Study has resulted in more than 300 publications in scientific journals since it was launched in 1994. Some of these articles are summarized here.

American Cancer Society released their annual report on cancer facts and trends. The report reveals a milestone 70% 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined for those diagnosed between 2015-2021 in the United States, due to cancer research and treatment advancements. The report acknowledges that with increasing survival rates, there must be more emphasis on survivorship challenges.

In a recent article from the Lymphoma Research Foundation, experts address one of the most common and persistent challenges survivors face: cancer-related fatigue. Unlike everyday tiredness, cancer fatigue can linger long after treatment ends and is not always relieved by rest. The article offers practical, evidence-based strategies to help boost energy, including gentle and regular movement, prioritizing sleep quality, managing stress, pacing daily activities, and addressing medical contributors such as anemia, thyroid issues, or depression.

Stanford onco-primary care physician and author Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz turns her national keynote into a practical playbook for anyone navigating a complex medical journey. She pulls back the curtain on how fragmented our health care system really is and offers three actionable strategies to take control of your care.

New research presented at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium suggests that acupuncture may help ease “brain fog” and thinking difficulties many survivors struggle with after cancer treatment.