The recent Becker’s Oncology article, “Why cancer survivorship care needs a redesign, per 10 leaders,” calls for a fundamental shift from episodic treatment to comprehensive, longitudinal survivorship care
The American Cancer Society’s 2026 Cancer Statistics report is full of good news – 70% of U.S. patients now survive at least five years after a cancer diagnosis. That translates to roughly 18 million survivors living in the U.S., and it is a monumental shift for health systems. Survival is no longer the sole goal; millions of people now need help managing the physical, emotional, financial and social sequelae of their treatment. Becker’s Oncology asked ten prominent leaders how oncology programs must change. Their responses highlight a clear consensus: survivorship must become a core clinical strategy, planned from the moment of diagnosis and supported through multidisciplinary teams, precision medicine and digital tools.
Why survivorship is a pressing issue
Surging numbers of survivors
Survival gains have created a challenge. One in eighteen Americans is now a cancer survivor, and most will live for decades after completing therapy. Dr. Sachin Apte, chief clinical officer at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, notes that survivors often face late‐onset side effects ranging from fatigue and neuropathy to cognitive problems and financial stress. Health systems must invest resources and design processes to manage survivorship as intentionally as they manage acute treatment.
Treatment isn’t the end
Several leaders stress that survivorship starts at diagnosis. Dr. Dhruv Bansal, director of immunotherapy at Endeavor Health, calls for a longitudinal survivorship model that begins when a patient hears the word “cancer” and continues through life. Rather than episodic follow‑up, survivorship planning should include proactive management of late toxicities, risks of secondary malignancies, psychosocial and cognitive effects, and financial toxicity. Digital symptom monitoring and remote patient‑reported outcomes, embedded in oncology practices, will be critical to reducing care fragmentation and measuring not just survival but functional outcomes and quality of life.
What leaders recommend
1 – Integrate survivorship early and personalize care
Dr. Sachin Apte emphasizes introducing survivorship resources during active treatment, not after. He recommends applying precision medicine and AI to survivorship plans so that each survivor receives tailored care that matches their unique biology and treatment history. He also advocates expanding the workforce trained in survivorship to meet growing demand.
2 – Shift from episodic to longitudinal care
Dr. Dhruv Bansal argues that health systems must redesign care around a longitudinal survivorship model that coordinates oncology, primary care and subspecialties. Shared care plans and interoperable data systems are needed to ensure continuity. Success should be measured by a patient’s ability to return to meaningful life roles, not just survival.
3 – Build dedicated survivorship clinics and teams
Dr. Richard Barakat, physician‑in‑chief at Northwell Health Cancer Institute, calls for dedicated survivorship teams that begin care at diagnosis. These teams should educate patients about long‑term effects, manage comorbidities and guide lifestyle adjustments. Professional education for providers about late and long‑term effects is essential. A comprehensive approach should incorporate services such as cardio‑oncology, onco‑fertility, psycho‑oncology and rehabilitation.
4 – Personalize follow‑up and address psychosocial needs
Frantz Berthaud, senior vice president of oncology at University Medical Center of El Paso, advocates risk‑stratified follow‑up models. Survivors should receive personalized surveillance schedules, targeted behavioral and psychosocial support and age‑specific support groups. Digital survivorship platforms can help deliver these services efficiently.
5 – Continue research and tailor treatments
Dr. Jennifer Litton, chief clinical research officer at MD Anderson, urges continued research into long‑term complications of therapy. She notes that systems should tailor treatment intensity to reduce late toxicities while maintaining cure rates. Litton also stresses the need to build mental and physical health infrastructure for survivors and to facilitate seamless transition back to primary care.
6 – Embrace a survivorship‑first mindset
Dr. Arturo Loaiza‑Bonilla, system chief of hematology and oncology at St. Luke’s University Health Network, believes oncology should shift from a treatment‑centric model to a survivorship‑first system. Care must focus on continuous needs – late effects management, secondary prevention, psychosocial support and financial/vocational recovery – rather than episodic visits. Technologies like AI can enable continuous monitoring and risk stratification, making survivorship “the longest and most complex phase” of cancer care.
7 – Treat survivorship as a lifelong journey
Dr. Ruben Mesa, president of the Cancer National Service Line at Advocate Health and executive director of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, views survivorship as a journey that begins at diagnosis and spans life. His team promotes a comprehensive, integrated system that spans primary care, specialty services and supportive programs such as palliative care, cardiac care and integrative oncology. Atrium Health has established supportive oncology departments and survivorship clinics and runs innovative programs like Team Phoenix, where multidisciplinary clinicians and triathlon coaches help survivors regain health and wellness.
8 – Create structured pathways and use digital monitoring
Urshila Shah, chief pharmacy officer at Westchester Medical Center Health Network, argues that as survival improves, oncology programs must evolve into long‑term health partners. She calls for structured pathways linking oncology, primary care, behavioral health and pharmacy and highlights the importance of digital monitoring and community‑based support to manage late effects and reduce avoidable hospitalizations.
9 – Reframe survivorship as chronic care
Dr. Walter Stadler, chief clinical officer at City of Hope Chicago, sees cancer survivorship as a form of chronic medical care. Survivors require comprehensive, patient‑centered healthcare that addresses active cancer, short‑ and long‑term therapy complications, comorbid conditions and complex psychosocial issues. Oncologists may need to draw on their internal medicine training to deliver this breadth of care.
10 – Make survivorship a core clinical strategy
Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope, argues that with nearly 70 percent five‑year survival, oncology must be redesigned as a continuum of care in which survivorship is a core strategy. City of Hope has long integrated evidence‑based supportive care into routine practice. Its model addresses symptom management, mental health, nutrition, financial navigation and family support, and its Exercise Oncology Program uses structured physical activity to improve recovery and quality of life. City of Hope stays engaged with survivors for years and partners with national coalitions to scale supportive care.
Bringing it all together
Across these ten perspectives, several themes emerge:
Plan early and personalize – survivorship care must start at diagnosis and be tailored to individual biology and treatment history.
Coordinate across disciplines – oncology, primary care, pharmacy, behavioral health and supportive services must work together via shared care plans and interoperable data.
Invest in dedicated teams and education – survivorship clinics with specialized staff and ongoing provider education can reduce fragmentation.
Address psychosocial and financial needs – risk‑stratified models should integrate mental health, social support and financial navigation.
Use technology – digital symptom monitoring, remote patient‑reported outcomes and AI‑powered analytics will enable continuous care.
View survivorship as long-term care – survivors may live for decades and need chronic care management comparable to other chronic diseases.
Implications for health systems and The After Cancer
The leaders interviewed by Becker’s send a clear message: survivorship is now the longest phase of the cancer journey, and it requires robust systems, dedicated teams and modern technology. For health systems, redesigning care around survivorship will not only improve quality of life but also reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations. Programs like Atrium Health’s supportive oncology department, Team Phoenix and City of Hope’s Exercise Oncology Program provide blueprints for building comprehensive survivorship services.
At The After Cancer, we aim to complement these efforts by providing a digital platform that extends survivorship care between visits, collects real‑world outcomes, and supports integrated care teams. By applying AI to personalize survivorship plans, offering remote symptom monitoring, and connecting survivors with psychosocial support, we help health systems operationalize the vision laid out by these ten leaders.
Citation: Becker’s Oncology, “Why cancer survivorship care needs a redesign, per 10 leaders.” February 2, 2026.