Theme 4: Multiple Determinants of Recurrence and Survivorship

You are a cancer survivor beginning on the day you are diagnosed with cancer. The Cancer Center is committed to ensuring people who survive cancer are cancer thrivers, too.

More People Are Living Beyond Cancer Than Ever Before

There are 18.6 million cancer survivors in the United States. This number is projected to increase to 22.4 million by 2035.

70% of people diagnosed with cancer now survive five years or more, a historic milestone up from 49% in the mid-1970s, according to the American Cancer Society.

These improvements are due to screening and more effective, targeted treatments.

Horizontal bar chart showing the number of cancer survivors in the United States increasing from 18.6 million to a projected 22.4 million by 2035. — The number of people living after a cancer diagnosis continues to grow, reflecting advances in detection and treatment.

Unraveling Medical Challenges

Describe the image for accessibility. — Jalees Rehman, MD, is the Cancer Center Associate Director for Translational Science

Our research is dedicated to uncovering the causes of challenging medical conditions, such as the muscle wasting condition known as cachexia, that most cancer patients experience. Work in the lab of Cancer Center scientist Jalees Rehman, MD, suggests that muscle blood vessels may be to blame, a discovery that may help cancer survivors regain muscle strength and contribute to better outcomes. (Nature Cancer, May 2025)

Recognized Excellence

Cancer Center members research and lead specialized radiation oncology services at UI Health for initial cancer treatments and managing recurrences. The UI Health Department of Radiation Oncology has achieved elite accreditation as an APEx Accreditation Program for Excellence from the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Radiation oncology team at UI Health providing specialized cancer care. — UI Health’s Department of Radiation Oncology has achieved APEx Accreditation for Excellence.

Data Science Drives Improvements

Federal money funds a research project that leverages data science to drive improvements in the effective use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) combination therapy in men diagnosed with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. (Grant #: HT94252510253)

Special Training

A physician examining a patient in a treatment room. — An innovative training program prepares leaders in cancer prevention and survivorship care.

The Cancer Center, in partnership with UI Health and Cook County Health, offers a unique and impactful training pathway for the next generation of leaders in preventive medicine and primary care, with a focus on cancer prevention and survivorship.

Survivorship Superheroes

Cancer survivors are celebrated and supported throughout the Cancer Center. They are vital members of our Community Advisory Board, featured speakers at our research symposia, advisers on clinical trial design, trusted advocates who share their stories to encourage cancer screenings and participation in cancer research, and generous philanthropic donors, such as prostate cancer survivor David Hachmeister and his wife, Jeanette. He was treated at UI Health, and they have made annual gifts totaling more than $200,000 in appreciation of the outstanding research and care he benefited from as a clinical trial participant. Knowledge from that trial to improve the way prostate cancer is treated is just one of the ways their impact carries forward.

Meeting Needs

Robust cancer survivorship programs and services, through the Cancer Center and in partnership with UI Health, are available to meet the unique care needs of survivors. Our physician-scientists bring their expertise in caring for cancer survivors to their practices throughout UI Health.

Impact Report 2026