Beyond the study of overall and cancer-specific survival, understanding the effects of both the disease and its treatment on other health end-points is essential for the holistic care of people with a current or past cancer diagnosis. Although short-term treatment effects are not a current focus at IARC, some of the longer-term end-points are of interest, including the risk of cancer recurrence, of secondary cancers, and of chronic diseases, as well as longer-term impacts on quality of life after cancer diagnosis and treatment. This comprehensive approach is within the domain of cancer survivorship, a period that starts at diagnosis and continues throughout a person’s lifetime. As the number of cancer survivors increases worldwide, the corresponding research field is growing in importance.

As part of various cohorts of patients with cancer set up by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), as well as the cancer survivors among population-based cohorts, IARC is strengthening its existing research portfolio in the cancer survivorship domain. This work aims to support the development of evidence-based strategies to improve the long-term health and well-being of cancer survivors worldwide.