It is devastating to hear that you have cancer and you will have many different feelings and emotions.
When you are told the diagnosis, you may feel numb or as if you have been physically hit. You may be shocked, bewildered, scared, sad, guilty, angry or may not be able to believe that this has happened to you. These are normal reactions.
It is important to remember that it’s not your fault you have cancer and it’s not because of anything you’ve done or anything you have not done.
Finding out you have cancer is not easy, and it can be hard to fully understand what is happening. It is common to feel shocked and numb.
Diagnosis means finding out whether you have cancer and, if so, what type of cancer you have. Doctors will do this by assessing you, and your symptoms, and by doing tests.
The treatment you have will depend on the type of cancer you have. Your doctors will choose the treatment that is best for the type of cancer you have. You may have more than one type of treatment.
Having cancer will affect all areas of your life. This section has information about coping with everyday life during your cancer treatment.
This information is about cancer, sex and relationships. It is for teenagers and young people who are having or have had cancer treatment. It may also help carers, family members and friends.
Other family members such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles or other close family relatives often have reactions similar to those of parents and may struggle to deal with some of the same emotions.
Doctors may use unfamiliar words that you don’t understand. Here are some of the most common ones explained (alphabetically).
This section is about how cancer and its treatment can affect your fertility. It is for teenagers and young people who need information about this before, during or after cancer treatment. It may also help carers, family members and friends.
Many children, teenagers and young adults are treated successfully for cancer. There are now over 45,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the UK who are supported with specialist health care and advice.
