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More individuals are surviving cancer than ever before. The overall five-year survival rate across all cancers in the United States has reached an historic 70%, translating to nearly 19 million cancer survivors nationwide, including more than four million breast cancer survivors.¹
To help breast cancer survivors thrive long after completion of treatment for their disease, in 2020, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-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 and clinical care and some definitions for cancer survivorship exist.
As noted by the 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.² Cancer survivorship is a 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 survivorship includes standards for medical follow-up care, monitoring mental and emotional wellbeing, managing long-term side effects, and beyond. Whether someone feels like a survivor on day one, on their last day of treatment, or somewhere in between, cancer survivorship helps to ensure that people dealing with cancer can receive medical care and support throughout all stages of their life.
Cancer survivorship programs exist to ensure that no one faces the aftermath of cancer alone and that every patient has a roadmap for living well and thriving, not just surviving. Designed to support all breast cancer survivors, including men, women, and nonbinary individuals, of all ages, as they transition from active cancer care – such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy – to long-term survivorship care, the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program offers services to help individuals manage ongoing physical, emotional, and financial side effects from breast cancer and its treatment.
The program also provides routine surveillance for disease recurrence with referrals to annual mammogram and ultrasound screenings and breast magnetic 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 is one of the most common cancers in the United States,” said Emily S. Tonorezos, MD, MPH, Director of the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program. “The disease and its treatment can have a profound impact on every aspect of patients’ lives, including chronic pain and fatigue, premature menopause, lymphedema, cardiovascular damage, and cognitive impairment, as well as persistent fear of recurrence, financial hardship, challenges returning to work, and changes in relationships.”
Dr. Tonorezos’ deep commitment to providing evidence-based survivorship care and clinical excellence for patients with breast cancer is at the foundation of her practice. Prior to joining Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Tonorezos served as Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the NCI, 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 the personalized care I recommend to my patients. It’s a very rewarding way to practice medicine.”
Dr. Tonorezos is only the second medical director to lead the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program. She succeeded renowned medical oncologist Anne Moore, MD, the program’s founding director, and Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Breast Center, who retired in December 2024.
“Dr. Moore had been practicing at Weill Cornell Medicine for more than five decades and many of the long-term breast cancer survivors in the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program are 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 to her for giving me this opportunity, and to all my patients and their family members for supporting me and my research for many years.”
Participants in the Iris 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:
