Surviving and thriving?

Introduces eight papers in a special issue which have as a common theme the impact of cancer on quality of life for cancer survivors. They refer to three stages of survival: acute survival - survival during the first year which generally includes treatment; extended survival - survival from the end of the first year until approximately three years later; and permanent survival - which extends from three years out when the probability of recurrence diminishes for most cancers. (Original abstract - amended)