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More individuals are surviving cancer than ever before. The overallfive-year survival rate across all cancersin the United States has reached anhistoric70%, translating tonearly 19 million cancer survivorsnationwide,including more than four million breast cancer survivors.¹
Tohelpbreast cancersurvivors thrive long after completion of treatment for their disease, in 2020, Թϸ andNewYork-Presbyterian Hospital launched the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program.
Identifying as a cancer “survivor” can look different to different people.Cancer survivorship is now a dedicated field of research andclinicalcareand some definitions for cancer survivorship exist.
As noted bythe National Cancer Institute (NCI)Office of Cancer Survivorship, a person is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of life.²Cancer survivorship isa state of being, including the perspectives, needs, health, and the physical, psychological, social, and economic challenges experienced by people and caregivers after a cancer diagnosis.³
Cancer survivorshipincludesstandards for medical follow-up care,monitoring mental and emotional wellbeing, managing long-term side effects, and beyond.Whether someone feelslike a survivor on day one, ontheirlast dayof treatment, or somewhere in between, cancer survivorshiphelpstoensure thatpeopledealing with cancer canreceive medical care and support throughout all stages of their life.
Cancer survivorship programs exist to ensure that no one faces the aftermath ofcanceralone and that every patient has a roadmap for living welland thriving, not just surviving.Designed to supportall breast cancersurvivors,includingmen,women, and nonbinary individuals,of all ages,as they transition from activecancercare–such assurgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy–to long-term survivorship care, theIris Cantor BreastCancer Survivorship Programoffersservices to help individualsmanage ongoing physical, emotional, and financialside effects from breast cancerandits treatment.
Theprogramalsoprovidesroutinesurveillance for disease recurrence with referrals to annual mammogram and ultrasound screeningsandbreastmagnetic resonance imaging,connection to genetics services if needed, and free resources such as nutrition counseling,as well as monitoring for cardiovascular and metabolic health.
“Breast cancer isone of the most common cancers in the United States,” saidEmily S. Tonorezos, MD, MPH,Director of the Iris CantorBreastCancer Survivorship Program. “The diseaseand its treatmentcanhaveaprofoundimpact on every aspect of patients’ lives, including chronic pain and fatigue, premature menopause, lymphedema,cardiovascular damage,andcognitive impairment, as well as persistentfearof recurrence,financial hardship, challenges returning to work,and changes in relationships.”
Dr. Tonorezos’deep commitment toprovidingevidence-basedsurvivorship care and clinical excellencefor patients with breast cancer is at the foundation of her practice.Prior to joining Թϸ, Dr. Tonorezos served as Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at theNCI, where she led survivorship-related research.
“For me, the clinical and research aspects of patient care are deeply intertwined. My patients are constantly teaching me about what it means to be a cancer survivor,” said Dr. Tonorezos. “At the same time, my research informs thepersonalizedcare I recommend to my patients. It’s a very rewarding way to practice medicine.”
Dr. Tonorezos isonlythe second medical director to lead the Iris CantorBreastCancer Survivorship Program.She succeededrenownedmedicaloncologistAnne Moore, MD, theprogram’s founding director,and Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Breast Center,who retired inDecember 2024.
“Dr. Moore had been practicing at Թϸ formore than five decadesand many of the long-term breast cancer survivors in the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Programare her former patients,” said Dr. Tonorezos. “Dr. Moore is a visionary in cancer survivorship.She has entrusted me to lead this unique program because she understood what these individuals need throughout their survivorship trajectory and how they would be best served. I’m grateful toherfor giving me this opportunity, and to all my patients and their family members for supporting me and my research for many years.”
Participants in theIris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program are referred by their primary breast cancer physicians, with most referrals taking place about five years following a breast cancer diagnosis. In addition to medical care follow-up, survivors have access to several free wellness educational services, including:
