Emotional concerns related to cancer

You may have emotional concerns during and after cancer. To help you better manage or alleviate them, it is recommended to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, for example:

• move or exercise
• adopt a healthy, balanced diet
• adopt stress or anxiety management strategies
• have good sleep habits

Consult a health professional if you have difficulty living with your emotional concerns or if they:

• prevent you from carrying out your activities of daily living or your occupations
• prevent you from sleeping at night
• make it difficult to make decisions
• negatively affect your social relations
• mean that you are unable to enjoy life or make plans for the future
• cause panic
• lead to persistent physical symptoms

The information in this directory must not be considered medical advice and must not replace a consultation with a doctor, nurse or health professional. If you have any questions about your health, please consult a health professional.

It is normal for the disease to trigger many emotions. You may experience anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness or fear. It is important to acknowledge these emotions, be able to understand them and find ways to ease them.

To help you better manage or alleviate your mood swings, you can use the following strategies:

• acknowledge your feelings without judging yourself
• consult a professional, for example, a psychologist or a social worker
• get support

The information on this page must not be considered medical advice.

For more information:

• Frustration, colère – Content developed by e-IMPAQc (in French only)
• Dépression – Content developed by e-IMPAQc (in French only)
• La détresse – Content developed by e-IMPAQc (in French only)
• Mood disorders
• Emotional and psychological impact – Cancer and Work – McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and BC Cancer
• Emotions, fears and relationships – MUHC
• Cancer : l’impact psychologique de la maladie – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal (CHUM) (in French only)
• How to manage depression during cancer – Cancer Care Ontario

After experiencing cancer, it is common to be afraid of the cancer coming back. Fear of recurrence refers to fears, worries or concerns that the cancer might come back or progress.

It may include:

• fear of having to repeat the treatments
• fear of pain
• fear of suffering
• fear of losing control of your life
• fear of death

This feeling is often present during the first year after treatment and gradually fades over time. There is a real possibility of a recurrence. It is normal to be afraid that the cancer will come back. This fear affects most people who survive cancer. It can trouble you during your recovery, prevent you from enjoying the present moment or making plans for the future.

To help you avoid this fear, you can:

• try to understand what causes it and what increases it
• address the causes by adopting healthy lifestyle habits
• get support
• consult a professional, for example, a psychologist or a social worker

The information on this page must not be considered medical advice. If you find it difficult to live with the fear of the cancer coming back or it becomes too difficult to manage, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

For more information:

• La peur de récidive du cancer : comment y faire face (video) – Société canadienne du cancer (in French only)
• Worrying that cancer will come back – Canadian Cancer Society
• Coping with the Fear of Recurrence – Lymphoma Canada
• Vivre avec la peur d’une récidive du cancer – CHUM (in French only)

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or stress. When you are diagnosed with cancer and during and after the active treatment phase, it is normal to feel a form of anxiety.

Anxiety can improve or worsen depending on the time, the situation and the reason. It can affect quality of life and present differently from one person to the next.

Anxiety can be caused by:

• lack of control over a situation
• changes in your life, for example, relationships with family or friendships
• the organization of your personal and professional life
• worry about the future

Anxiety can lead to:

• pervasive worry
• restlessness and difficulty relaxing
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• exhaustion
• insomnia
• difficulty or loss of interest in doing tasks
• loss of interest in social activities
• irritability or impatience
• loss of appetite
• headaches
• stomach upset
• skin problems
• decreased libido
• nausea
• heartburn, stomach ache or diarrhea
• dizziness or vertigo
• a feeling of not being able to get enough air or other panic attack

There are several strategies that can help you manage or alleviate anxiety. Sometimes you have to try a few in order to figure out which ones work best. Here are a few suggestions:

• do social activities and hobbies
• face your fears
• deal with situations or social gatherings that may cause you stress. For example, if you do not want to discuss your illness, say so clearly
• get support

The information on this page must not be considered medical advice.

For more information:

• Coping with anxiety and stress – Canadian Cancer Society
• Anxiété et cancer – Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Québec – Université Laval (in French only)
• Cancer : l’impact psychologique de la maladie – CHUM (in French only)
• “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Cancer in Adults – Canadian Psychological Association