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Beyond Cancer: Enhancing Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors (Second Edition)

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 2851

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jennifer Jones

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Interests: cancer rehabilitation; cancer survivorship; long-term effects of cancer; innovative care models; ehealth; implementation science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maryam Lustberg

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Interests: breast neoplasms; cancer survivors; chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muna Al-Khaifi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
Interests: breast cancer; cancer survivorship and quality of life outcomes; medical education; humanism in medicine; women’s health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the second edition of a previous Special Issue entitled “Beyond Cancer: Enhancing Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/special_issues/400D0T3R53).

As the number of cancer survivors continues to increase, due to the growth and aging of the population of cancer survivors, as well as advances in early cancer detection and treatment, follow-up care with a focus on quality of life for is becoming increasingly important. Cancer survivors often face physical, emotional, and practical changes after the completion of their cancer treatment. As such, recent research has shown the significance of a holistic approach to survivorship, highlighting the complex interplay between medical care and quality of life. From the initial diagnosis through to long-term survivorship, cancer impacts every facet of life, necessitating a comprehensive approach to supportive care and rehabilitation.

Our understanding of survivorship has significantly evolved, emphasizing the need to address not only the medical aspects but also the psychosocial, biosocial, and economic dimensions of life after cancer, creating a more comprehensive approach that enhances overall quality of life. This includes addressing long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) issues, such as chronic physical side effects, mental health, and social wellbeing, ensuring that survivors receive holistic care tailored to their ongoing needs.

As we continue to advance our understanding of cancer survivorship, it is imperative to translate these insights into practical, evidence-based interventions that can be seamlessly integrated into clinical practice. By doing so, we can empower survivors to lead fulfilling lives. This Special Issue highlights the multifaceted nature of cancer survivorship, ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for all survivors, and insights into the effective management of post-treatment side effects, promoting overall wellbeing.

Dr. Jennifer Jones
Dr. Maryam Lustberg
Guest Editors

Dr. Muna Al-Khaifi
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • psychosocial oncology
  • cancer survivorship
  • long-term effects of cancer
  • psychoeducational interventions
  • nnovative care models
  • continuing education
  • knowledge translation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 320 KB  
Article
Health-Related Quality of Life in Menopausal Women with Cancer: Results from the CALCAN Study
by Ana Cristina Ruiz Peña, Laura Baquedano Mainar and Pluvio J. Coronado Martín
Cancers 2026, 18(6), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18061019 - 21 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Menopausal symptoms can negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially in women with a history of cancer. This study compared menopause-specific HRQoL in peri- and postmenopausal women with and without cancer and explored differences by cancer type, menopause treatment use, and [...] Read more.
Background: Menopausal symptoms can negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially in women with a history of cancer. This study compared menopause-specific HRQoL in peri- and postmenopausal women with and without cancer and explored differences by cancer type, menopause treatment use, and depression. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional multicenter study using self-reported data from 6833 women enrolled through the Mi Menopausia mobile app between 2021 and 2024. HRQoL was assessed with the Cervantes SF-16 scale. Results: The final sample consisted of 6833 women: no cancer (n = 6482) and cancer (n = 351), further classified as gynecologic (n = 210) and non-gynecologic (n = 141). Cancer history was associated with worse HRQoL in the Sexuality domain (51.2 ± 23.8 vs. 48.3 ± 24.6; p = 0.013), while global HRQoL did not differ significantly between women with and without cancer (30.6 ± 21.7 vs. 32.3 ± 20.7; p = 0.130). Among cancer women, Sexuality scores were worse in non-gynecologic versus gynecologic cancers (55.7 ± 22.9 vs. 48.2 ± 24.1; p = 0.005). Depression was consistently associated with worse HRQoL in all groups, while menopause treatment use was associated with poorer HRQoL only in women without cancer. Conclusions: Cancer history was mainly associated with poorer sexual menopause-related HRQoL rather than global HRQoL. Depression was a major factor linked to impaired HRQoL, highlighting the need for integrated sexual and mental health assessment in menopausal women, particularly cancer survivors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond Cancer: Enhancing Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors (Second Edition))
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Review

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23 pages, 835 KB  
Review
Prehabilitation in Adult Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy: A Scoping Review
by Dylan Kwan, Wesley Kwan, Anchal Badwal, Tuti Puol, Justin Zou Deng, Raymond Wang, Saad Ahmed, Alexandria Mansfield, Rouhi Fazelzad and Jennifer Jones
Cancers 2026, 18(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18020286 - 16 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1934
Abstract
Purpose: The effectiveness and feasibility of cancer prehabilitation have been well-validated in surgical settings, but its role in non-surgical treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT), remains unclear. This scoping review aims to systematically explore the existing literature on prehabilitation programs for [...] Read more.
Purpose: The effectiveness and feasibility of cancer prehabilitation have been well-validated in surgical settings, but its role in non-surgical treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT), remains unclear. This scoping review aims to systematically explore the existing literature on prehabilitation programs for non-surgical cancer treatments. Methods: Following the scoping review methodology developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to October 2024 for peer-reviewed studies involving prehabilitation prior to non-surgical treatment. Data were extracted and reported adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, using a convergent synthesis design to present qualitative and quantitative evidence. No formal risk-of-bias or quality appraisal was conducted. Results: Of 22,122 studies, 39 met the inclusion criteria, yielding a combined sample of 6073 patients and thirty-four unique interventions. Sample sizes ranged from 9 to 1992, with randomized control trials being the most common (16). Head and neck cancer was the most frequently studied, followed by breast, esophageal/gastric, and lung cancer. Of the included interventions, 23 were unimodal and 16 were multimodal. Exercise was the most common component (30), with nutrition (13), psychosocial (10), and educational (8) components also present. Most efficacy studies (84%) reported improved outcomes and nearly all (93%) feasibility studies found prehabilitation acceptable and implementable. Conclusions: This review highlights a growing body of literature examining prehabilitation prior to chemotherapy or RT in adult cancer patients, with studies suggesting potential benefits and feasibility. However, long-term trials, especially in diverse cancers and older populations, remain scarce. Our results provide insight into future implementation, evaluation of outcomes, and directions for future prehabilitation research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond Cancer: Enhancing Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors (Second Edition))
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