Life After Cancer: Information on NIHSeniorHealth

Life after cancer can bring its own challenges. To help older adults and their families, the Web site NIHSeniorHealth has added a new topic: Life After Cancer.

The new feature gives people an idea what to expect once treatment ends. It answers questions about managing follow-up care, physical and emotional changes, and relationships with family and friends. It also discusses how a person's age and health status can affect recovery and survival.

Thanks to better diagnosis and more effective treatments, patients are living longer after cancer strikes. But for some it can be a stressful period, says Julia Rowland, PhD, director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which developed Life after Cancer for NIHSeniorHealth. “Understanding what to expect after cancer treatment can help survivors and their families plan for follow-up care, make positive lifestyle changes, and consider important health-related decisions.”

NIHSeniorHealth is geared to older adults, who make up about 60 percent of cancer survivors. The site features brief, easy-to-read information in large print, open-captioned videos, and audio segments. Additional topics coming soon include periodontal disease, dry eye, and collecting your family health history.

NIHSenior Health is produced by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both part of the National Institutes of Health.