- How do you talk to someone who has cancer?
- About cancer
- Hearing the news
- Ways people cope with a cancer diagnosis
- Living with cancer
- Sources of support
- Concern for the family and caregivers
- Help and information
- If your loved one decides to stop getting treatment
- If your loved one refuses cancer treatment
- Facing the final stage of life
- Summing up: Talking to the person with cancer
- To learn more
You may find it helps to learn a little about cancer. Cancer touches people of all ages, races, and incomes. At some time in their lives, everyone will talk with a person who has cancer. There are no rules to follow when talking with them, because each person and each case is different.
The word “cancer” itself is upsetting. It often makes people think about death. But death is not the outcome for many people with cancer. Nearly 14.5 million people who have had cancer are alive in the US today. And more and more cancers are being found early – when they’re small and easier to treat. So the fear you might feel when you learn that someone you care about has cancer can and should be mixed with hope. Most cancers can be treated, and researchers are finding new and better ways to find and treat cancer every day.
Some people live with cancer for many years. This means they may have to “fit” cancer into their everyday lives. They also may have to adjust to different types of treatment and different stages of the disease. Family and friends must also adjust to these changes and try to keep giving support and hope along the way.
In many cases, cancer doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. There may be a beginning and an end to a treatment plan, and maybe a time when there’s no sign of cancer. But for some people, the cancer comes back after treatment. And sometimes treatment goes on for years just to keep the cancer under control – it never really goes away.
Some people live many years with cancer. This means that they may have to adjust to different types of treatment and different stages of the disease.
Last Medical Review: 06/09/2014
Last Revised: 02/05/2015