Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects

Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects

An intimate connection with a partner can make you feel loved and supported as you go through your cancer treatment. But sexual side effects of cancer treatment can make resuming sex more difficult.

Find out if you're at risk of sexual side effects during and after cancer treatment and which treatments can cause these side effects.

It may simply take time for you to regain your sexual function after cancer treatment. While that can be frustrating, remember that if you had a positive and satisfying sex life before cancer, you'll likely resume that after your treatment.

Cancer Survivors: Reconnecting with Loved Ones After Treatment

Cancer Survivors: Reconnecting with Loved Ones After Treatment

Your friends and family love you and are worried about you — but they sometimes have strange ways of showing it. Some people withdraw and avoid talking to you. Others smother you and treat you like a child.

Many cancer survivors find that one barrier to a smooth transition out of cancer treatment is the reaction they get from friends and family. One way for cancer survivors to prepare for relationship difficulties is to expect these problems and plan accordingly.

The New Normal: A Decade of Scans

The New Normal: A Decade of Scans

Going into this new year and new decade should feel exciting, but part of me feels some grief for the end of the last decade and the start of this one. This will be a decade of scans every 6 months, of wondering if my cancer is going to come back – and if it’s going to come back worse. Sarcoma likes to go to the lungs, so I’ll have MRIs on my leg and CT scans on my lungs for all of the 20s. If it doesn’t come back, then in the 30s I’ll be home free, but if it does…

21 Ways to Help Someone You Love Through Grief

21 Ways to Help Someone You Love Through Grief

Seven years ago, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer before dying three and a half years later. It was a horrible time, during which I relied heavily on support from friends and family.

While I made sure to thank the people who were there for me, I noticed that most remained worried about doing and saying the right thing. Ninety-five percent of the time, they naturally did. But sometimes, they absolutely didn’t. As in, really, really didn’t.

I understand the concern. And so in case you’re concerned about how to help a loved one who’s going through something awful, here’s a quick guide based on what I learned from being on the other side.

How to Talk About Cancer

How to Talk About Cancer

With a topic as complex as cancer there are many questions. And, it can get overwhelming. You might not know where to start and how to work through the questions you have – as someone interested to learn more about cancer, or as the person diagnosed with cancer or the person in their support network.

In some cultures, cancer is still a taboo subject and universally, for many of us, it’s tough and uncomfortable. Yet, talking about cancer openly raises awareness, improves outcomes, and can ultimately save lives. There are no hard rules on how to talk about cancer just as there is no ‘right way’ or ‘wrong way’ for you and your family and friends to cope with cancer.

This is only meant as a guide for you to find the best way to start talking about cancer.

It’s Not Cheating: Why Oncologists Want You to Get a Second Opinion

It’s Not Cheating: Why Oncologists Want You to Get a Second Opinion

“He just basically said, ‘Quit work and go do all the things on your bucket list,’” said Kiggins, a father of two. “I thought, ‘There’s no scenario where this person is going to save my life.’ … He was curious to know if I died, what happened to me … but I didn’t have the sense that he was going to do any extra study to try figure out what to do to help me survive.”

How to *Actually* Support a Friend with Cancer, According to Survivors

How to *Actually* Support a Friend with Cancer, According to Survivors

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a pretty aggressive form of cancer. When I first heard about it through a mutual friend, I’m ashamed to say it took me days to work up the courage to call her. I just didn’t know what to say.

She’s since begun treatment, and I continue to feel not only tongue-tied but also useless. I find myself calling her a “warrior” or otherwise relying on trite phrases I’ve seen used in movies and on TV. What do you do when someone you care about is suffering from something that you can’t help them fix? What do you say when there’s the terrifying possibility that everything isn’t going to be all right?

To find out, I asked not only those who have dealt with cancer themselves but also the founder of Humanly, a digital community for all those touched by the disease in its various forms. Below, find their advice on how to provide encouragement and support for a loved one who has cancer.