Well-Being, Survivorship and Previvorship
Well-Being, Survivorship and Previvorship
Well-being refers to an overall sense of health, meaning, purpose, and feeling supported. Well-being includes emotional health and the ability to manage stress.
Most people experience distress when they are diagnosed with cancer or learn that they are at high risk for cancer. This distress can affect many aspects of healthcare and can persist during and after treatment or prevention has ended. There are guidelines for measuring distress, pinpointing its causes, managing it and helping improve the overall wellbeing of people facing cancer.
For people who have been diagnosed with cancer, survivorship focuses on their health and well-being from the time of diagnosis through treatment and beyond.
Previvorship focuses on the health and well-being starting when people learn they are at high risk and throughout their lives.
Both terms recognize that fact that for some people the consequences of a cancer diagnosis or risk can last long after medical care has ended.
Read more about topics related to well-being, survivorship and previvorship in the sections below.
Watch our Video
Is this my new normal? Navigating life detours due to risk management or treatment
Emotional Health
Most people diagnosed with, or at high risk for cancer have some distress. Learn about the resources and services that provide emotional healthcare and support to survivors and previvors.
Nutrition, Exercise & Weight
Leading a healthy lifestyle contributes to overall wellbeing. Read about nutrition and exercise guidelines and resources to help you maintain or improve your fitness.
Sexual Health & Intimacy
Many aspects of cancer treatment or preventive care affect sexuality and intimacy. Learn about available options and resources to address sexual side effects and improve sexual health.
Palliative & Integrative Care
Palliative care addresses quality of life issues for patients and their families. Integrative medicine combines traditional medicine and complementary medicine to treat the whole person; mind, body and spirit. Read more about the services each provides.
Survivorship & Previvorship
Cancer treatment, prevention and surgical cancer can lead to short- and long-term health concerns for survivors and previvors. Learn about the services and resources available to address these issues.
Find Experts
Finding mental health experts
Support for severe distress
If you are experiencing severe distress and cannot wait for a referral to a mental health care professional, please call the experts at the National Suicide Prevention Helpline.
- The National Suicide Prevention Helpline is a network of crisis centers that provide free and confidential emotional support for people in suicidal crisis or extreme distress. Dial 988 for help.
Finding professional support related to cancer distress
The following resources can help you locate a mental health expert in your area.
- The Association of Oncology Social Workers: Database for finding a social worker by location.
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness: Tips for finding a mental health professional.
- The Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Database of licensed professionals who provide telehealth services.
- Mental Health America: Tool for finding a mental health care professional based on people's current needs.
Other ways to find experts
- Register for the FORCE Message Boards and post on the Find a Specialist board to connect with other people who share your situation.
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers have specialists to manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer prevention or treatment.
- Cancercare (800-813-HOPE) is a nonprofit organization that provides support through its trained oncology social workers.
- Livestrong has helpful information and tips for finding mental health care professionals.
Get Support
FORCE offers many peer support programs for people with inherited mutations.
- Our Message Boards allow people to connect with others who share their situation. Once registered, you can post on the Diagnosed With Cancer board to connect with other people who have been diagnosed.
- Our Peer Navigation Program will match you with a volunteer who shares your mutation and situation.
- Our moderated, private Facebook group allows you to connect with other community members 24/7.
- Check out our virtual and in-person support meeting calendar.
- Join one of our Zoom community group meetings.
Related Resources
The following resources are related to mental and emotional health.
- FORCE related resources:
- Information: Emotional Well-being
- FORCE Video: Resilience Through Life Challenges and Changes
- FORCE Video: Is This My New Normal? Navigating Life Detours Due to Risk Management or Treatment
- FORCE Video: Manage and Overcome Fatigue and Other Side Effects
- XRAY category: Emotional health
- Cancer Support Community
- CancerCare
- Cancer Hope Network
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines for Patients: Distress During Cancer Care
Open Clinical Trials
The following studies of the emotional effects of cancer are enrolling patients.
Multiple cancers
- NNCT04813276: Efficacy of a Self-advocacy Serious Game Intervention.The goal of the current study is to test the efficacy of a novel intervention using a serious game platform to teach self-advocacy skills to women with advanced cancer.
- NCT06199570: Support for Cancer Patients Awaiting News (SCAN). This study will test a stress management intervention for people with cancer who are undergoing routine cancer scans.
- NCT06705218: Exploring Mindsets, Beliefs and Resilience Across the Cancer Experience. This study will test the effect of digitally delivered programs on the health, wellbeing, and functioning of newly diagnosed cancer patients.
- NCT05398484: Psilocybin Therapy in Advanced Cancer. The purpose of this research is to study the safety and effects of single-dose psilocybin versus in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and existential distress for people with 3 or 4 cancer.
- NCT05215353: A Study Comparing Music Therapy and Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Cancer Survivors. This study will compare how music therapy and behavioral therapy, given virtually, may be able to reduce anxiety in people who have had cancer.
- NCT06582784: IMPACT (IMproving Proactive Approaches for Cancer Survivors' Mental Health Treatment) (IMPACT). This study will evaluate a mobile application (app) for depression treatment called "Moodivate" among cancer survivors.
- NCT06246955: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion-Based Virtual Group Therapy to Improve Psychological Wellbeing in Patients With Cancer. This study is looking at how well acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion based virtual group therapy works to improve psychological wellbeing in patients with cancer.
- NCT04829539: Comparing Brief Behavioral Therapy (BBT-CI) and Healthy Eating Education Learning (HEAL) for Cancer-Related Sleep Problems While Receiving Chemotherapy. Compares two approaches to the reduction of insomnia in patients with I-IV cancer who are receiving cancer treatment.
- NCT04776941: Expressive Writing for the Management of Stress in Cancer Survivors. This study evaluates the effect of expressive writing for the management of stress in cancer survivors.
- NCT06949943: Pre-Operative Guided Meditation to Reduce Pre-Operative Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Cancer-Related Surgery. This study will test how well guided meditation, compared to silence, works to reduce pre-operative anxiety in patients undergoing cancer-directed surgery.
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NCT06941324: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Support of Psychological Distress in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors. This study evaluates the how well a virtually delivered brief therapy works to decrease young adult cancer survivors' psychological distress in comparison to usual care.
Breast cancer
- NCT06748222: HEAL-ABC Study: Harnessing E-Mindfulness Approaches for Living-After Breast Cancer. This study will compare different approaches to mindfulness training for breast cancer survivors who were between the ages of 18-51 at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis and who have symptoms of depression.
Endometrial cancer
- NCT04930159: Social Interventions for Support During Treatment for Endometrial Cancer and Recurrence (SISTER). The SISTER study is a trial, looking at various modalities of social support for Black patients undergoing treatment for endometrial cancer.
Gastrointestinal cancers
- NCT06532877: Telephone Support in Advanced Gastrointestinal Cancer. The goal of this study is to see if telephone support programs help patients and their family caregivers adjust to advanced gastrointestinal cancer.
cancer
- NCT05869682: Bright White Light Therapy in Reducing Cancer-Related Fatigue and Depression in Advanced Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment With ADT Combination Therapy. tests how well bright white light therapy works in reducing cancer-related fatigue and depression in patients with advanced cancer who are undergoing treatment with antiandrogen therapy combination therapy.