A Fresh Chapter

The Need for Our Work

THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A CANCER SURVIVOR 

A Fresh Chapter
Addressing the Emotional Scars of Cancer

Quality of life is a broad multidimensional concept that considers a person’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. According to data from the National Health Interview Survey, approximately 1 in 4 cancer survivors reports a decreased quality of life due to physical problems and 1 in 10 due to emotional problems.1

Consider the following:2

  • At least 35% of people impacted by cancer experience significant emotional distress and more than 50% of those experiencing distress don’t seek traditional support.
  • The National Cancer Institute reports that 25% of cancer survivors experience depression, 45% of cancer survivors experience anxiety, and that cancer survivors are twice as likely to commit suicide as the general population.
  • In young adult patients, the highest levels of distress often happen 13-24 months post-treatment
  • Mortality rates in breast cancer patients suffering from depression are 25-39% higher than those not suffering from depression.
  • Volunteering in the population at large enhances happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and can be associated with a decrease in depression.

Unfortunately, services aimed toward healing the emotional challenges of cancer remain limited, mostly focused on traditional in-person and online support groups. The Journal of Clinical Oncology cites the need to recognize emotional distress as a core indicator of a patient’s health and well-being.

There is a tremendous need for helping cancer patients and survivors heal the emotional scars of cancer more quickly, so they can reintegrate back into their families, communities, and workplaces and ultimately live more purposeful and meaningful lives – whether living with or beyond cancer.

How A Fresh Chapter Transforms Adversity into Growth 

The emotional scars of cancer stretch far beyond patients and survivors. When factoring in professional and family caregivers, the number of people impacted by cancer multiplies exponentially – and innovative support interventions are needed to address the unseen scars of the disease.

Through life-changing, U.S. and international volunteer travel experiences – embedded into a much broader, multi-month program of support and education – A Fresh Chapter programs reframe adversity, foster interpersonal connections, and promote personal growth and development.

Eminent author and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl once said that ‘suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” A Fresh Chapter is providing an invaluable service to patients with cancer by supporting a patient with cancer’ healing process through service and travel and by allowing individuals to re-examine their lives from an empowering perspective. There is no medication that can offer this growth. — Dr. Arash Asher, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Make a Donation Today

A Fresh Chapter participants come from across the cancer spectrum, providing donors a unique and innovative way to support the broader cancer community, create meaningful connections and heal the emotional scars of the disease.

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Sources: [1] Weaver KE, Forsythe LP, Reeve BB, et al. Mental and physical health-related quality of life among U.S. cancer survivors: population estimates from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. [2].  https://afreshchapter.com/sources/ 

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