Impacting the lives of cancer survivors: reflectionson the first year of the journal of cancersurvivorship: research and practice

Michael Feuerstein

Received: 22 January 2008 /Accepted: 23 January 2008 /Published online: 29 February 2008# Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008

Keywords Cancer survivor . Research . Practice . Future

It hardly seems that a year has gone by since the first issue ofthe journal was published. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank the many authors and reviewers whocontributed to the completion of the first volume. Bynecessity, the range of topics represents a small sampling ofthe challenges cancer survivors face [1, 2]; despite this, thefirst year went well. The reviews were comprehensive and themanuscript production timely. We were able to accept half ofthe total number of papers submitted. I tried to balance topicsand methodologies to include many types of cancers, problemareas, and methodologies. Methodologies ranged from pop-ulation health studies to qualitative analysis; each has theirplace in advancing our knowledge of cancer survivorship.

This journal was created to communicate new knowl-edge that will improve the lives of cancer survivors. Anarea of inquiry that we look forward to receiving manu-scripts on relates to ways in which we can improve longterm health outcomes. We need investigations on the longterm health of survivors of all types of cancers. We also

desperately need research related to health care delivery sowe can genuinely improve the access, quality and cost ofhealth care services. Evidence based policy and operationscan emerge from such efforts. We also seek interventionstudies that help us decide which approaches are effectivefor what problems, how long we can expect them to work,and at what cost (economic and personal). This type ofknowledge is critical so that survivors can make decisionsthat truly impact their ability go about their lives as“normally” as possible. We need to come up with newapproaches for addressing the myriad of problems andopportunities that define cancer survivorship. While chronicillness models can provide guidance [3], there are manyaspects of cancer as a chronic illness that differ fromproblems experienced in nonmalignant chronic illness.

Descriptive investigations in understudied cancers andconcomitant problems need to be submitted to this journalas well. Studies on the potential role of biological,behavioral, and environmental factors that maybe relatedto health, functional and emotional challenges need to bebetter defined. Once these potential “risk factors” areclarified then their specific contribution needs to beidentified in population-based, prospective studies. Theseshould be followed by intervention studies to demonstratethat actually modifying these risks result in a reduction ofthe risk and improvement in targeted outcomes. This typeof work can set the stage for the identification of a handfulof critical risk factors using sound epidemiological princi-ples and approaches. However, we must not forget that thisrepresents only one pathway to knowledge.

Also, studies related to efforts at preventing thesymptom burden that often accompanies cancer survivor-ship is of major interest to this journal. We should worktoward efforts to aggressively assist survivors in returningas closely as possible to their “old normal” in terms of

J Cancer Surviv (2008) 2:1–2DOI 10.1007/s11764-008-0045-2

The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views ofthe authors and are not to be construed as being official or asreflecting the views of the Uniformed Services University of theHealth Sciences or the Department of Defense.

M. Feuerstein (*)Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology,Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,4301 Jones Bridge Road,Bethesda, MD 20814, USAe-mail: mfeuerstein@usuhs.edu

M. FeuersteinGeorgetown University Medical Center,Washington, DC, USA

overall health, general well being and function. Accom-plishing this task requires: (1) a better understanding of thebiological, environmental, and behavioral bases of thevarious health, functional, and psychosocial challenges thatsurvivors must face; and (2) the development of evidencebased interventions to better manage these challenges,including innovative pharmacological, environmental, be-havioral, and policy related approaches.

This past year, some in my cohort of brain tumor survivorswith very bright futures and young families didn’t make it. Weall know people… patients, family, or friends in similarcircumstances. I also know survivors who recently haveexperienced recurrences of their cancer. These are real peoplewho did not have the luxury of time to wait for the “ideal”study. We do need to be scientifically sound but this must beplaced in perspective. We must also consider the current stateof knowledge in a topic area, as well as the needs of survivorstoday. This journal will not lose sight of them. While it iscritical that we make certain papers are conceptually andmethodologically sound, there is a place for the disseminationof preliminary knowledge and new ways of thinking orapproaching a problem; providing it is well thought out andsupported by varied sources of inquiry.

Yes, we must stay focused on the long term outcome ofour efforts: to produce the most valid and reliableknowledge base possible in order to improve our under-standing and management of the many challenges cancersurvivors face. However, we also must not ignore the factthat knowledge accumulation is an incremental, evolvingprocess and short term achievements along the way are tobe expected, are necessary, and can help make life a biteasier for cancer survivors…. now.

We look forward to your active collaboration.

References

1. Hewitt M, Greenfield S, Stovall E, editors. From cancer patient tocancer survivor: lost in transition. Washington (DC): The NationalAcademies Press; 2005.

2. Institute of Medicine (IOM). Cancer care for the whole patient:meeting psychosocial health needs. Washington (DC): NationalAcademies Press; 2007.

3. Feuerstein M. Innovations in health care for cancer survivors: let’slearn from the past. J Cancer Surviv 2007;1(3):177–8.

2 J Cancer Surviv (2008) 2:1–2