In 2021, the Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) marked an important milestone: 25 years since the creation of the office. The NCI Office of Cancer Survivorship: Twenty-five Years of Progress report and videos with division leadership highlight the history of the office, milestones in cancer survivorship research, progress made toward improving the length and quality of life of survivors, and the continued growth of the field of cancer survivorship research.
Highlights
Milestones in Cancer Survivorship: Over the past 25 years and beyond, there have been many key moments in cancer survivorship, from identification of the need to focus on survivorship to the Cancer Moonshot.
Growth in the Cancer Survivorship Portfolio: In 1998—the office's first full year of funding as part of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences—survivorship research focused on approximately a dozen broad areas, with 13 grants funded at a total of $3,150,482. Today, our research has grown to include numerous areas of investigation. In 2020, the division funded 165 grants focused on cancer survivorship, at a total of $111,581,130.
Survivorship Research Focus Areas – 1998
Survivorship Research Focus Areas – 2020
Priorities for the Future: A recent meeting of cancer survivorship researchers, representatives of professional organizations, cancer survivors, and advocates led to the following recommendations to advance cancer survivorship research.
OCS has set additional goals, as well: to support survivorship researchers, build infrastructure, leverage expertise, generate collaborations, and promote understudied research areas.
With a growing field of research and researchers, immeasurable expertise, and continued desire to collaborate, we remain focused on improving the lives of all cancer survivors and their loves ones.