After Cancer

Healing doesn’t end with treatment. As cancer survivorship rates continue to rise, about 30% of people living with or beyond cancer experience lasting emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression. New research underscores the importance of supporting the emotional and psychological well-being of cancer survivors – not just their physical health. Researchers from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing conducted the first-ever scoping review focused on caring-healing modalities (CHMs), including mindfulness, peer support, and expressive therapies, which help reduce emotional distress and strengthen resilience.

The review examined 16 global studies and found that CHMs – delivered in settings from hospitals to homes – created healing environments that nurtured emotional expression, empathy, and human connection. Group-based interventions, in particular, were powerful in helping survivors process fear, rebuild inner strength, and reduce feelings of isolation. While most studies focused on breast cancer, researchers emphasize the need to expand this work across other cancer types. Ultimately, the findings call for a more holistic approach to survivorship care – one that treats patients as whole people and integrates science with compassion.

“Our findings highlight something too often overlooked in survivorship care: healing doesn’t end when treatment does,” said Judyta Kociolek, corresponding author and director of the FAU Clinical Research Unit, and an oncology nurse prior to starting a career in research. “What patients often need most is to be seen, heard and treated as whole human beings, so they can feel empowered in their recovery and cancer journey. These caring-based practices help them reclaim that sense of self.”

Read the press release.