What about psychological changes?
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January 2008
Q. What about psychological changes?
A. I encourage survivors to be open when they come to see the oncology team. Often people think this visit is all about what’s going on physically and whether the cancer has recurred. If the cancer has not recurred, they may not bring up other things that are very disturbing to them—things we need to know about and want to help them with.
How much to tell other people and when is a personal decision. For new friends, or when starting a new relationship, it can be hard to know how to explain this part of your life and how things might be different for you.
More and more, there are support groups available, both online and by telephone.
Guest Expert: Mary McCabe, RN, MA, Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, answers questions about the concerns and challenges people face after completing cancer treatment.
Living with Cancer Health monitor