Stories of progress, inspiration, and information in overcoming osteosarcoma.

Why Cancer Survivorship Conversations Should Happen Sooner

William Tap, MD, breaks down the complexities of cancer survivorship — a concept that can mean something different for each person.

There are millions of cancer survivors who have beat their disease and have gone on to live active, full lives. But cancer survivorship is a complicated topic — especially for a lesser-studied cancer like osteosarcoma.

William Tap, MD

“Survivorship means different things to different people,” explains William Tap, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “For me, the idea of cancer survivorship is a continuum of people living with cancer and what that involves, from the time of their diagnosis and onward through all aspects of their life.”

The Osteosarcoma Institute (OSI) spoke with Dr. Tap about the complexities of cancer survivorship and how providers can better prepare patients for life after cancer treatment.

Beyond the 5-Year Milestone

It is a major achievement for a person to go five years without any new signs of cancer in their body. Traditionally, this is a benchmark for declaring someone “cancer-free,” since after five years, cancer recurrence is less common. But according to Dr. Tap, survivorship is far more complex.

First there is the surveillance aspect in which survivors must have regular scans and screenings to ensure cancer has not returned. Then there are physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of how cancer shapes a person’s life moving forward.

“For me, the idea of cancer survivorship is a continuum of people living with cancer and what that involves, from the time of their diagnosis and onward through all aspects of their life.” — William Tap, MD

Years after “beating” their cancer, a survivor can face a host of hardships: treatment side effects, emotional repercussions, relationship changes, fertility challenges, self-image struggles, financial burdens, career shifts, and more.

These challenges emerge on their own schedules, and each requires time and attention to address.

Setting Goals for the Future

According to Dr. Tap, every patient, no matter of their perceived prognosis, should be setting goals so that they can more smoothly navigate the effects of their diagnosis.

“We like to consider everyone a survivor from the moment we meet them,” he says. Transitioning from short-term cancer treatment into long-term cancer survivorship requires communicating with your family and healthcare team what is meaningful to you and what you want your life trajectory to look like — from career, to relationships, to family.

: Samantha’s survivorship story

: Carly’s survivorship story

Closing Gaps in Care

Cancer survivorship programs are on the rise, but there are still major gaps in care. For example, a survivorship program oriented around the needs of breast cancer survivors will have some cross-applicable resources and expertise for an osteosarcoma patient, but only to a point.

Dr. Tap hopes that providers see the complexity of survivorship so they can individualize their care to each person. He would also like to see providers starting the conversation around survivorship sooner so they can better support their patients.

“That is why all these conversations are so important,” says Dr. Tap. “What I appreciate about the Osteosarcoma Institute is that they see this as a conversation starter so that we can know how to understand cancer survivorship, how to individualize it, and focus on any gaps in care.”