Health Tip: Having a Conversation About Cancer

How to inform friends and family

November 27, 2009 RSS Feed Print

(HealthDay News) -- If you've been diagnosed with cancer, it's a difficult task to inform friends and family.

The American Cancer Society suggests how to approach the subject:

  • Compose a list of people you want to tell yourself, and other people you want them to notify for you. Also, jot down thoughts about how you'd like to begin, and what you want to share.
  • Explain your type of cancer, and share as much about your diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options as you are comfortable with.
  • Encourage family and friends to do research on their own.
  • Think about any topics that are too difficult for you to discuss, and avoid those topics.
  • Compose responses to likely questions, and know when and how you'd like to end the conversation.

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Tags:
cancer

Reader Comments

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

advertisement

U.S. News Rankings & Research

U.S. News's "Best" delivers recognized, authoritative information and clear, objective rankings that help readers plan for their life and ultimately, make the most of it.

Featured Videos

Depression

Learn how to recognize the symptoms.

Suffering from Migraines?

Know your triggers to prevent a migraine meltdown.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect the young and old alike.

advertisement