After beating cancer, while the body is clear from harm's way, the mind of survivors may not be as ready to go back to its normal cancer-free state.

According to Fiona Naumann, Clinical Exercise Physiologist -who is part of the pilot program offered by the HBF and the University of Notre Dame Australia to assist cancer survivor's transition back to health -it is common for cancer survivors to suffer an emotional hangover when they were in remission.

The program was introduced in Australia, after Dr Naumann's witness of a similar program that was carried out in the United States.

The goal of the program is to address survivors' physical debilitation along with their emotional trauma.

The emotional trauma of cancer survivors includes recurrence and anxiety about the future, feelings about loss of control and lack of support beyond the first treatment.

Dr Naumann said patients are expected to be instantly back to normal after getting the clear-all test results, but often they don't straight away feel alright.

Cancer survivors live in fear that every niggle means it is going to come back, she said.

The program is about giving cancer survivors their sense of control back.

Cancer is something you just cannot control and you do question why you got it but if you can give people ownership of their body back ... they can move forward in the most positive way they can, said Dr Naumann.

Within the program, participants get to connect with people who have gone through the same experience they had.

It just helps having others alongside them that have been through the same thing.

This year the ten-week program involves 50 breast cancer survivors and 50 prostate cancer survivors that will go through cardio and strength training three times per week and a once-a-week counseling session.

Participants are given support in order for them to reassess what is truly important in their lives and make lifestyle changes that will maximize their quality of life, said Dr Naumann.

Australia Medicine Breast cancer Cancer