Currently within Northern Ireland there are an estimated 55,000 cancer survivors, a figure that reaches 2 million when taken across the UK. The number is growing by 3.2% annually which means, if current trends continue, by 2030 there could be over 4 million cancer survivors in the UK; with breast, prostate and colorectal; accounting for over half.

Until recently, cancer has been viewed in simple terms; either people are cured and get back to normal or else they will have terminal cancer and die. However the cancer landscape is changing and the picture emerging is a more complex one. While some still die within a year of diagnosis, advances in treatment mean that those with incurable cancer can live for years, and experience similar illness patterns to those with long-term conditions, with many suffering from complex co-morbidities.