The BC to AC Transition

“You are cancer free…the cancer is gone…you are cured.”

After long and torturous battles with cancer, an increasing number of cancer patients are hearing these remarkable words.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 20 adults are surviving their cancer diagnosis; according to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 5 seniors diagnosed with cancer are cured.  The most promising cure rates are for those diagnosed with prostate, breast, colorectal, bladder, and uterus cancer, because survival rates for these forms of cancer have tripled in the last 30 years.

In the face of such good news, it is perhaps surprising to know that being “cured” is not without its own unique challenges.  No one – no one – who experiences cancer is ever quite the same afterward.  The world is not restored to a “BC” (before cancer) state;  indeed, cancer survivors and especially their family caregivers should prepare for a new and challenging “AC” (after cure) state.

For many, “AC” is marked by a process of changes nearly as profound as the cancer itself.  Roles and relationships have changed (in many cases, roles have reversed, with the family caretaker now accustomed to being the dominant partner in the home); financial concerns can be overwhelming; and self-esteem and body image concerns might now take the forefront.  And always fear persists:  what if my doctor is wrong?  What if the cancer is metastasizing even now, unseen? What if it comes back?  “Cure” – the word they have prayed and longed to hear – cannot be immediately grasped or fully trusted.

Family caregivers must be attuned to and prepared for these changes and must continue to support themselves and their loved ones through the often overwhelming transition to life “AC.”  Caregivers may feel frustrated that their loved one does not feel an immediate flood of relief, joy, or gratitude.  Or, they may be shocked when a loved one’s immediate rush of elation just as quickly deflates into depression, worry, or prolonged anxiety. All of these emotions are legitimate: their bodies and their lives have been up-ended and assaulted in the treatment of cancer.

Caregivers must set realistic expectations and allow time to temper the rollercoaster of emotions they and their loved ones will experience.  The post-cancer issues – finances; responsibilities; spiritual, social, and psychological well-being – can be managed and alleviated with time.  Now more than ever before, caregivers must offer support to loved ones living with, through, and beyond cancer.

In transitioning from “BC” to “AC,” caregivers can rely upon assistance of many local, national, and virtual cancer survivor’s groups, including:

• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS; www.canceradvocacy.org) offers “The Cancer Survival Toolbox” that assists in the building of survival skills, with a focus on choices and control. T online video programs.
• The Cancer Keys to Survivorship (www.cancereducation.com/cancersyspages) also offers free video program on the important skills of living with, through, and beyond cancer.
• The American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org/Treatment/Survivorship.com) offers a cancer survivors’ network which focuses on general health, nutrition, physical activity and recurrence concerns.
• The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.leukemia.org) offers help to survivors and families of these diseases.
• The National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) is focused on emotional needs, prevention, and reducing the risks of recurrence.
• LIVESTRONG (www.livestrong.com) provides keys to survival, with a focus on  nutrition and physical activity, as well as coping with physical, emotional, financial and relations changes that may have taken place.

Survivorship is a new opportunity to live beyond the disease, to redefine and renegotiate our lives on new terms.  It offers cancer survivors and their caregivers the opportunity to grow, make lifestyle changes, appreciate every day, show love in new ways, and become prevention advocates.