World Cancer Day: 4 February 2025
“Every experience with cancer is unique and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient.”
The above serves as the inspiration for the theme of World Cancer Day 2025: “United by Unique”. We are encouraged to take action in fostering empathy, understanding, and support for those who are navigating the complexities of a cancer diagnosis.
So here are some helpful things to say and do to have meaningful conversations, provide emotional support, and be a source of strength for those going through one of life’s most difficult challenges.
“I’m not sure what to say, but I want you to know that I care about you.”
Be honest about how you feel. You don’t have to pretend to be comfortable, and there is no need to shy away from your own fears and discomfort. Cancer can be isolating, so showing your support and keeping in touch is always better than staying away.
“What can I help you with?”
You can be specific and offer to cook meals, provide transport to appointments, help with their pets, arrange for cleaning services, help with the laundry, etc. You can even help them to look for support groups or other companions.
“You are welcome to join us at lunch today, if you would like to.”
Include the person when making plans, rather than presuming that they won’t feel up to engaging in the activity. Give them the option to join in, and if they decline, don’t force them to come along.
“I’m here to listen if and when you are ready to talk.” … “I can hear it has been hard for you to share, so thank you for sharing.”
Be sure not to pressure the person into talking with you or with someone else. Sometimes your presence when sitting quietly together, will mean a lot more than talking. However, if they do share their thoughts and feelings, try to listen actively.
“It seems reasonable to me to be feeling sad.” / “I’m sorry to hear that you are going through this.”
Respect the person’s feelings and thoughts. Don’t make light of, judge, or try to change the way they feel or reason. Rather support them and allow them to make their own decisions about their health, well-being, and quality of life.
“I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.” / “I am proud of you.”
Try to encourage the person, while still being realistic (e.g. rather avoid telling them that they will beat the cancer). Don’t be afraid to use humour or to tell a joke – you can still have a good laugh together and it might help the person to cope better with their cancer journey.
Lastly, it might be tempting to tell the person about your family member who has been cured from cancer and/or to advise them on what treatment worked for a friend of yours. But everyone’s road with cancer is different, so avoid comparing your (or someone else’s) situation to the person’s situation.
This brings us back to the theme of “United by Unique”: while each cancer story is unique, we can still stand together, making sure that every cancer fighter is supported, valued, and never alone.
Resources:
https://www.worldcancerday.org/the-campaign
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/caregivers/when-someone-you-know-has-cancer.html
https://www.cancervic.org.au/get-support/stories/what-to-say-and-not-say.html
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