New York State Department of Health Recognizes National Cancer Survivors Month

Honoring More than One Million Cancer Survivors Living New York State

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 4, 2025) – During National Cancer Survivors Month this June, the New York State Department of Health celebrates the lives of about 1.2 million cancer survivors living in New York State and highlights the issues cancer survivors face every day – even well after treatment has ended.

"This month and every month we celebrate the extraordinary resilience and strength of cancer patients and their loved ones. From the moment of diagnosis, an individual becomes a cancer survivor," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "We will continue to work every day towards prevention, early detection, and improved outcomes for cancer survivors."

A Department report, Healthy Behaviors among New York State Cancer Survivors, describes health-related behaviors reported by cancer survivors between 2018 and 2021. Health care providers and public health professionals can use information from the report to support cancer survivors and their families to access available support services like nutrition counseling, smoking cessation programs, and support groups to help them thrive beyond their diagnosis.

The Department's Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control and the New York State Cancer Consortium's Survivorship Action Team are implementing an ongoing Survivorship Learning Series focused on improving care for cancer survivors in rural communities throughout New York State. Information about this series can be found here. Another program, Survivorship ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), seeks to expand primary care knowledge of cancer survivorship care across the state and develop networks of primary care and oncology providers to better support survivors. Recordings of the six sessions held in 2024 can be found under "Action Team resources" on the New York State Cancer Consortium Survivorship Action Team website. This effort is funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Department also funds several grantees to offer a Post-Treatment Supportive Services for Breast Cancer Survivors Who Are Black program. Grantees provide support groups and one-to-one peer mentoring to breast cancer survivors, with an added focus of supporting survivors who are Black to help address disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Supportive services are offered to survivors who have completed active treatment for their breast cancer, with a priority focus on those who are transitioning from active treatment to post-treatment care.

Learn more about cancer survivorship and resources here.