Cancer Survivor Day: Honoring Strength, Progress, and Hope

Every year on the first Sunday of June, National Cancer Survivors Day honors the courage of people who have faced cancer and the loved ones who support them. In 2025 this special day falls on June 1. It’s a day to celebrate life after cancer, share inspiring stories, and recognize the heroes in our midst – including not only survivors themselves, but the millions of family members, friends, and caregivers who walk alongside them. The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation calls it “a Celebration of Life… and a call to action” for more research, resources, and awareness. Today we salute the strength and resilience of everyone who has looked cancer in the eye – and lived to tell the tale – and the devoted caregivers who quietly give so much.

A Snapshot of Progress: Cancer Survivor Day and Survival on the Rise

Thanks to better screening, treatments, and supportive care, more people than ever are living well after a cancer diagnosis. In the U.S. there are now about 18–19 million cancer survivors – roughly 5–6% of the population. That number is growing fast: new estimates show 18.6 million Americans living with a history of cancer today, and projections of over 22 million by 2035. Worldwide, survival rates are also improving. Today the overall 5‑year relative survival for all cancers combined is about 69% (for diagnoses from 2014–2020), compared to around one-third in the 1960s. Cancer mortality has likewise plunged: the American Cancer Society reports that the U.S. cancer death rate has dropped 34% since 1991. In practical terms, that’s roughly 4.5 million lives saved – and counting – thanks to prevention, early detection, and therapies that turn once-fatal cancers into chronic or curable illnesses. As one survivor put it, “Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations” – and today’s statistics show our destination is getting ever brighter.

However, these numbers also underscore why awareness and support remain vital. Even as survival improves, cancer still affects millions of lives. We must help survivors thrive not only by curing disease, but by building systems that support their long-term health and well-being. To that end, national agencies have just released new standards for survivorship care. In 2024 the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and partners announced “National Standards for Cancer Survivorship Care,” a blueprint for comprehensive follow-up – from regular screenings to mental-health support. This initiative recognizes that surviving cancer is a journey, not a finish line, and aims to ensure every survivor has access to quality care, coordination among providers, and resources to manage life after treatment.

Advances Lighting the Way

Scientific progress continues to push those survival numbers even higher. In the past year alone, dozens of innovative cancer therapies have reached patients. Researchers and FDA officials note that in 2024 over 50 new cancer indicationswere approved, including 11 first-in-class drugs – meaning entirely new types of treatment. One milestone was the approval of the first tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy for melanoma and other cancers, a breakthrough harnessing a patient’s own immune cells to hunt down tumors. Similar advances in immunotherapy and targeted therapy are appearing across many tumor types: for example, a targeted drug called selpercatinib has shown survival benefits in lung cancer patients, with median overall survival reaching nearly four years in some trials. Gene therapies and novel combinations are on the rise too: in bladder cancer, an experimental treatment (cretostimogene) achieved a 75.5% complete response rate in high-risk cases – suggesting many patients’ tumors vanished entirely after treatment. In small-cell lung cancer, a new regimen pairing chemotherapy with immunotherapy yielded an 89% response rate, dramatically higher than standard treatments. And even stage IV patients who have stopped responding to existing drugs are finding hope: one Phase 2 trial reported a median survival of 24.5 months (double the usual expectancy) and about 37% of patients alive after two years. These leaps – from checkpoint inhibitors to CAR-T cells to personalized cancer vaccines – mean that more patients can expect long remissions and better quality of life than ever before.

Equally important are advances in supportive and survivorship care. More clinics now offer integrative oncology services, including physical rehabilitation, nutrition counseling, pain management, and mental-health therapy. Cancer centers are developing survivorship care plans – personalized road maps that track each patient’s treatment history and follow-up needs. Telemedicine and virtual support groups make it easier for survivors in remote areas to stay connected to care teams and peers. And palliative care (pain and symptom management) is being integrated earlier to help patients live well during and after treatment. For example, NCI experts are pushing for routine screening and treatment of anxiety and depression in survivors, knowing that emotional resilience is key to long-term wellness. In short, the era of cancer care is shifting toward holistic, long-term support. As one NCI doctor explained, surviving cancer is about “living better,” not just living longer. Today’s research agenda recognizes that survivorship itself needs attention – what side effects linger, how to restore function, and how to find meaning – and funders are responding with new grants in survivorship science.

Voices of Hope: Stories from Survivors

Behind every statistic is a person with a story of strength. People who have stared down chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery and come out the other side – changed, but still standing. Their voices remind us that cancer can be beaten, or managed, and that hope and purpose bloom even in hardship.

Consider Jill Feldman of Illinois. Both her parents died within a year of metastatic lung cancer diagnoses in the 1980s, but when Jill herself was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in 2009, modern treatment gave her a very different outcome. Today, Jill has lived 16 years beyond her diagnosis – far longer than anyone expected. “My mother lived only six months, and I lived 16 years after the same disease,” Jill reflects. Her experience shows “how much treatment has improved in recent decades”. As an outspoken survivor, Jill often reminds others that survivorship defines life after cancer. She puts it bluntly:

“Cancer is what changes a person’s life, but survivorship is what defines it.”

These words, shared in an AACR Cancer Today interview, capture the sentiment of many long-term survivors. The diagnosis may mark a new chapter, but how we live that chapter – with courage, support, and hope – is what matters most.

Another inspiring voice is Lisa, a kidney cancer survivor interviewed by the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Lisa endured grueling radiation and immunotherapy, but through it all she leaned on her loved ones. “I wasn’t on a bike,” she says, “but I was riding hard for this.” Her family and partner were her team. “My family and my boyfriend…they’re riding hard next to me. We’re doing it with all our hearts to get me through this”. Lisa’s story reminds us that no one faces cancer alone – behind every patient is a circle of believers.

These and many other survivors echo a common theme: life after cancer can be rich and full. Erika, a leukemia survivor quoted by MD Anderson, says simply: “It’s possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again.” That’s exactly what this day celebrates. Difficult as their journeys were, survivors emerge with gratitude, perspective, and often a desire to give back. They volunteer, they mentor newly diagnosed patients, they raise funds, and they advocate for research. Their very presence – dancing, laughing, going to work, playing with grandchildren – is a testament to human resilience.

Honoring Caregivers: The Quiet Heroes

Behind every survivor is often a caregiver – a spouse, parent, child, friend or even a neighbor – who made sacrifices so their loved one could heal. These caregivers carry heavy burdens. By conservative estimates, there are about 3 million cancer caregivers in the U.S., each providing unpaid emotional, practical, and medical support day in and day out. Caregiving can be exhausting: one national survey found that half of caregivers report high emotional stress and a quarter report significant financial strain. Many juggle jobs while managing medications, doctor’s appointments, and 24/7 care. Over 70% of them perform medical or nursing tasks at home, even without formal training.

Despite the challenges, caregivers seldom seek attention. Their strength is born of love. One kidney cancer caregiver, Cora Connor, beautifully captured their spirit when she said:

“It’s possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again.”

She was speaking for her loved one, but her words apply to both patients and caregivers. Today we salute these tireless supporters – the friends who hold hands in chemo suites, the children who become nurses for their parents, the spouses who become researchers on the side, and the sisters and brothers who never missed a day of dialysis. Without them, the road would be lonelier and much harder.

To caregivers, National Cancer Survivors Day offers a message of thanks and self-care. You are heroes too. And survivors often feel profound gratitude. Many will tell you: “You got me here. We did this together.” The journey of beating cancer is a team effort, and every caregiver deserves recognition, rest, and support.

Moving Forward Together: Community and Action

As we celebrate, we also look ahead. There is work to be done to ensure that every survivor lives the fullest life possible. This means raising awareness, promoting regular screenings, and supporting research that continues to shrink the gap between diagnosis and cure. On this National Cancer Survivors Day, get involved however you can:

• Share a Story. Survivors can inspire others by sharing their journey – on social media, at community events, or among friends. Hearing about one person’s triumph can give others the strength to fight on.
• Join a Celebration. Many towns host Survivors Day events – from walks and picnics to ceremonies – where survivors and caregivers connect. (You can find community events through the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation and local cancer groups.)
• Volunteer or Donate. Support organizations that provide services to survivors and families. Even lending your time or donating resources to a local cancer center, support group, or advocacy organization makes a difference.
• Advocate for Change. Call for policies that improve access to care: better insurance coverage for follow-up visits, funding for survivorship programs, or expanded telemedicine for remote patients. Write or call your representatives to express why cancer survivorship needs their attention.
• Watch for Your Health and Help Others. If you are a survivor or patient, stay vigilant with follow-up care and mental health. Caregivers, seek help when you’re overwhelmed. Friends and neighbors: check in on loved ones who have had cancer. A simple offer – “Can I drive you to chemo?” or “I’d love to listen if you need to talk” – can mean the world.

Hope is powerful, and this day is a reminder that cancer is not a solitary journey. Every survivor story adds to a tapestry of hope for others. As one survivor said, “There’s always hope beyond what you see.” And indeed, with each passing year we see more survivors thriving.

Let us honor those who fought and encourage those still fighting. Today and every day, we celebrate the heroes among us – the survivors whose smiles light up rooms, and the caregivers whose love lights the path forward. On National Cancer Survivors Day 2025, we stand together, grateful for life, and determined to make the road a little easier for everyone touched by cancer.

Join the Movement of Hope

Whether you’re a survivor, caregiver, or simply someone who believes in the power of resilience—your voice matters. Share stories, spread awareness, and support ongoing cancer research. Let’s keep fighting for a world where cancer no longer defines anyone’s future.

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