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When Cancer Returns: Survivors, Caregivers, and the Family System

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Abstract

Despite the progress made in early detection and treatment of cancer resulting in 5-year survival rates of 66%, cancer relapse may occur, even years later. The fear of recurrence is a persistent reality among both survivors and their caregivers. This chapter examines the needs of caregivers and the importance of the family system perspective in navigating cancer care for survivors across a long trajectory of survivorship and uncertainty, including cancer relapse or recurrence and end-of-life care.

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Bushfield, S.Y. (2018). When Cancer Returns: Survivors, Caregivers, and the Family System. In: Fitzpatrick, T. (eds) Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75223-5_12

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