Rehabilitation and Survivorship

Cancer rehabilitation is a process that assists the individual with a cancer diagnosis to obtain optimal physical, social, psychological, and vocational functioning within the limits created by the disease and its treatment. The functional autonomy of patients with cancer is compromised. The severity ranges from negligible to profound at the extremes. Owing to the nature of the cancer trajectory, rehabilitative goals have been divided into preventive, restorative, supportive, and palliative.Cancer affects the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals and their caregivers. The primary aim of anticancer treatment has been to cure patients of their disease. However, the American Society of Clinical Oncology has emphasized the importance of (a) identification and management of specific patient groups requiring rehabilitation and (b) recognition of the point in the illness trajectory. Psychosocial care is being recognized as an essential component of a comprehensive approach to the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cancer. Modern supportive and palliative care journeys with the patient alongside anticancer treatments. Guidelines and recommendations are laid to optimize and improve overall health and QoL of cancer survivors.Previous rehabilitation programs were set up using an interdisciplinary approach, to empower individuals who are experiencing loss of function, fatigue, malnutrition, psychological distress, and other symptoms as a result of cancer or its treatment to improve their own QoL. The research agenda now needs to focus on developing an evidence base and exploring strategies to facilitate provision of survivorship and rehabilitative care to all diverse patient populations worldwide.