For many cancer survivors, the end of treatment does not mean the end of fear. The final chemotherapy session or last radiation appointment may mark a medical milestone, but emotionally, a new chapter often begins – one filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and a lingering question: what if the cancer comes back?
Across Canada, a program called Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) is helping survivors confront that fear and move forward.
Co-developed by Christine Maheu, associate professor at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing and researcher at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and University of Ottawa researcher Sophie Lebel, FORT addresses what many experts now describe as a major blind spot in cancer care: emotional recovery after treatment ends.
After more than a decade of research, pilot studies and clinical trials, FORT is now moving into broader implementation. The program has been delivered in cancer centres in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, and is now available online nationwide through a partnership with Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation.
To read the article and hear from Elise Monaghan Joubert, a breast cancer survivor who participated in the program, visit https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/12/30/montrealer-program-cancer-survivors-fear-of-recurrence/