Survival is Just the Beginning

At The University of Kansas Cancer Center, survival is more than an outcome. It’s a milestone in a lifelong journey. The Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research was created in 2024 to help every patient not only reach this milestone but continue forward with the best possible quality of life. Guided by its core values that patients come first, and care should be available to all, along with a commitment to continual improvement, the center is quickly becoming a hub for innovative research and patient-centered care. 

Optimized for the Individual 

A key part of this work is the Clinical Pre-, Peri- and Post-Treatment Optimization Program, which integrates survivorship into routine care. Patients are assessed not just for medical outcomes, but also for physical function, mental health, nutrition and social factors like food access and financial strain. Initially established for transplant and cellular therapy patients, the program will eventually expand to all cancer center patients over the next few years. 

Alongside this, the Observational Program collects data to answer critical questions in survivorship care. Using tools such as wearable devices, patient-reported outcome measures and biospecimen collection, the program is building a comprehensive view of how factors like sleep, exercise and caregiver well-being shape recovery. According to Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research director Anthony Sung, MD, the Observational Program is about generating evidence to help patient outcomes. 

“With that evidence, we can design interventions that make a real difference,” Dr. Sung says. 

This research is already sparking new studies. The third arm of the Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research, the Interventional Program, uses insights from the clinical and observational arms to test new strategies. One trial uses remotely monitored high-intensity interval training to boost cardiorespiratory fitness before treatment. Another study explores whether prebiotics can strengthen the microbiome and reduce treatment complications.

Nurturing the Next Generation 

Dr. Sung and his team aim to foster the growth and development of the next generation of cancer survivorship experts. In 2025, they hosted their first-ever Midwest Research Skills Development Workshop, drawing attendees from five states. 

“We are shaping tomorrow’s experts in cancer survivorship, as well as encouraging new research collaborations,” Dr. Sung says. 

One such partnership led to a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. In a multicenter clinical trial called NOURISH, Dr. Sung and Anna Arthur, PhD, MPH, RDN, serve as multiple principal investigators, leading efforts to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in patients with blood cancers undergoing transplant or cellular therapy. The trial partners cancer centers across the nation with local food banks to provide bags of medically tailored groceries during clinic visits, along with recipes and cooking videos. 

“Transplant and cell therapy patients are especially vulnerable to malnutrition due to treatment side effects and relocation away from support systems,” Dr. Arthur says.

The team aims to assess whether this intervention reduces malnutrition, improves various clinical outcomes and reduces hospitalizations and healthcare costs. If successful, the model could be expanded to benefit all cancer patients facing food insecurity. 

An Eye to the Future 

Technology is also expanding possibilities. A new wearable device platform developed with health informatics experts allows clinicians to monitor heart rates in real time during exercise studies, ensuring safety and maximizing benefit. 

“We’re building a future where every patient has the support they need to live well after treatment,” says Dr. Sung. “Survivorship isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of their care at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.”