Cancer survivors go through many things, even after they have successfully gone through treatment. Their fight against the disease does not end in treatment, for there is the further hurdle of getting track. A common problem among cancer survivors are the whole new set of concerns arising from the disease. These issues could include fear of recurrence of the disease, changes in his body image, those related to his sexuality and spirituality, and financial concerns. Furthermore, some survivors might have more emotional issues like the feeling of guilt in the idea that they have survived cancer have not.

It is thus important for a cancer survivor to know how to cope with these survivorship issues. It is equally important for his friends and family to know ways of dealing with these issues because they are the ones who could do great help in the survivor’s effort to sort these issues out. They must remember that cancer survivors should not be left alone in these times of crisis because their emotional support is especially needed in these moments.

Friends and family should make themselves available especially when the cancer survivor is in a mood to vice out his concerns. Many things might be running along his mind, and his tendency is towards keeping his worries to himself. Thus, where he is already finding someone to talk to, it is better if his confidante would be supportive and willing to listen.

The most common concern of cancer survivors is fear – fear of the recurrence of cancer and fear of what he does not know. The answer to this problem is simple – knowledge. These fears can be addressed by talking to the patient’s doctor and getting enough information which will arm him and his family and friends with the appropriate steps to take in certain critical instances. This knowledge will significantly reduce the fear in the survivor.

Survivors also worry about their physical appearances, which most probably have changed as a result of the cancer or its treatment. These changes might be drastic, and the survivor might find them hard to accept. In these cases, friends and family should do their best to help the survivor understand and accept his new appearance as the new him. For this purpose, they may hire a therapist or find another cancer survivor or a loved one to help him adapt to these drastic changes.

Surviving cancer treatment is hard enough. Surviving survivorship issues might be harder. Fortunately, unlike the former, the latter ordeal can be endured with the help of the survivor’s loved ones.