Living with cancer

Moving with your body

Exercise & Physical Activity

Cancer and its treatment can change your strength, stamina and confidence in movement. But physical activity does not have to mean intense exercise or returning to the way you moved before cancer.

For many people, appropriate physical activity can support energy, physical function, sleep, mood and quality of life. The right level depends on your cancer, treatment, symptoms and overall health.

Start with what is realistic for you. That might mean a short walk, gentle stretching, everyday movement or a structured exercise program developed with your care team.

Understanding your body’s response

Managing Side Effects

Side effects are part of many cancer treatments, but they are not something you simply have to endure.

Fatigue, nausea, changes in appetite, neuropathy, skin changes, mouth problems, bowel or bladder changes and many other symptoms can affect daily life. Side effects can also vary widely from person to person—even among people receiving similar treatments.

Keeping your healthcare team informed can help them identify causes, recommend treatments and make changes where appropriate.

When something hurts or doesn’t feel right

Pain & Symptom Management

Pain is only one part of symptom management. Cancer and its treatment can also cause nausea, breathlessness, constipation, diarrhea, swelling, nerve symptoms, appetite changes and other problems that interfere with everyday life.

You do not have to wait until a symptom becomes severe before bringing it up.

Keeping a simple record of what you are experiencing—including when it happens, how severe it is and what makes it better or worse—can make conversations with your healthcare team more useful.

Energy, rest & recovery

Fatigue & Sleep

Cancer-related fatigue can feel very different from ordinary tiredness. You may feel physically drained, mentally slowed down or exhausted even after resting. It can affect work, relationships, movement and everyday tasks.

Sleep can become difficult too. Treatment, pain, medications, stress, changes in routine and the cancer itself can all contribute to disrupted sleep.

Understanding your energy limits is not the same as giving up on activity. It can mean learning how to balance movement, rest and the things that matter most to you.

Making space for how you feel

Emotional & Mental Well-being

There is no single emotional response to cancer.

You may feel anxious, angry, overwhelmed, uncertain, hopeful, disconnected—or several of these at once. These feelings can change throughout treatment and may return at different points, including after treatment has ended.

Looking after your mental well-being is part of cancer care, not something separate from it.

Secondary means of caring

Complementary & Supportive Care

Cancer care is not limited to treating the cancer itself. Supportive care can help address symptoms, side effects, physical function, emotional wellbeing and other concerns that affect quality of life.

Some people also explore complementary approaches such as meditation, yoga, massage or acupuncture alongside standard cancer treatment. These approaches should not be assumed to treat or cure cancer, and some supplements or therapies can interact with cancer medicines. Talk with your healthcare team before adding a complementary therapy or supplement to your care.

Staying connected

Relationships & Communication

Cancer affects more than the person who receives the diagnosis. Partners, family members and close friends may be adjusting too—and everyone may respond differently.

Sometimes people want to talk. Sometimes they do not know what to say. Roles at home may change, and conversations that once felt simple can become difficult.

Good communication can help you explain what you need, understand what others are experiencing and make conversations with your healthcare team more productive.

Intimacy is part of life

Sexual Health & Intimacy

Sexual health is part of overall wellbeing, but it is often left out of conversations about cancer.

Cancer and its treatment can affect sexual desire, sexual function, fertility, body image and intimacy. These changes may be temporary or long-lasting, and they can affect people regardless of whether they are currently sexually active.

There is no need to dismiss these concerns because you are dealing with cancer. If something matters to you, it belongs in the conversation.

Life beyond the treatment room

Work & Financial Concerns

Cancer can affect the practical foundations of everyday life: your ability to work, household responsibilities, income, insurance and the cost of treatment and care.

Financial concerns can become another source of stress at a time when you already have a great deal to manage. Cancer-related financial hardship can involve medical expenses as well as lost income and difficulties meeting everyday costs.

Planning early and asking questions can help you understand your options.

The everyday matters too

Day-to-Day Life With Cancer

Some of the hardest parts of living with cancer can be the things that never make it onto a treatment plan.

Getting through a workday. Preparing a meal. Getting to an appointment. Looking after children. Deciding what to do when you have no energy. Keeping track of medicines. Making plans when you don’t know how you’ll feel tomorrow.

These everyday decisions matter.