Where to Begin: Navigating a Loved One’s Cancer Diagnosis

If a primary care provider suspects cancer, your loved one may be referred to a specialist who can offer a more definitive diagnosis. Though this step can be scary, it helps to know what to expect.

After receiving an official diagnosis, you may experience a range of emotions – from anger to sadness to shock. To help you process these feelings, our radiation oncologists have compiled tips on managing the anxiety of living with cancer.

A cancer caregiver is someone, normally a friend or relative, who provides a cancer patient with direct assistance. Before you assume this role, it’s important that you know more about the responsibilities of caregiving and how it will affect your everyday life.

Though it can be heart-wrenching to tell your children or grandchildren about your cancer diagnosis, hiding your illness is not the answer. Rather, you must equip yourself with the tools and knowledge needed to have an open and honest conversation.

Though the thought of a loved one receiving radiation can be scary, radiation therapy is very common and effective. For peace of mind, learn more about radiotherapy before your friend or family member begins receiving treatment.

A cancer treatment plan offers specific information regarding a patient’s diagnosis, treatment modalities, and symptoms. As a caregiver, you can use your loved one’s cancer treatment plan to schedule care and manage symptoms. In the resource below, we discuss this valuable tool in more detail.

Caregiving can be stressful. Fortunately, tech developers have created a host of smartphone apps that make scheduling medical appointments, tracking side effects, and requesting support much easier.

When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, money may be the least of your concerns. But it’s important to consider the financial costs of treatment and to explore avenues for affording high-quality care.

You may feel compelled to shoulder all aspects of your loved one’s care. However, you should know it’s OK to ask for help. There are many charitable organizations, support groups, and other community resources that can ease the burden of care.

It’s not uncommon for radiotherapy patients to experience side effects like fatigue, hair loss, and skin issues. Here’s how you can help your loved one manage these symptoms.

If your friend or relative experiences nausea or vomiting after radiotherapy, it can be hard to know what to cook. In this blog, we offer meal suggestions for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

When you assume the role of caregiver, your life changes dramatically. You may need to put your career on pause or even move to provide your loved one with 24/7 support. Though some challenges are inevitable, there are ways to make the most of your time as a caregiver.

The goal of radiation is to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, radiation can affect and sometimes damage surrounding cells including immune system cells. This can make your loved one more susceptible to life-threatening infections. To help boost their immune system, follow our radiation oncologist’s tips.

A cancer diagnosis is heart-breaking. But when the disease returns – a phenomenon known as cancer recurrence – it can be even more emotionally taxing. To help you understand why this happened, our radiation oncologists created a resource on cancer recurrence.

The follow-up care your loved one will receive after finishing treatment is detailed in their survivorship care plan. Learning more about this care can provide the peace of mind you need to move forward.

Even after being deemed cancer-free, your friend or family member may need time to fully recover. Educate yourself on positive lifestyle modifications, like healthy eating and regular exercise, and encourage your loved one to make these changes.

Unfortunately, cancer treatment can cause long-term side effects. From fibrosis to second cancers, these side effects can be very serious. However, by becoming aware of these issues, you can help your loved one take preventative action.