It’s often difficult for people to cope after a diagnosis of cancer. With a rare cancer it can be even harder. You may get fed up with having to keep explaining your diagnosis. And you are less likely to come across people in the same situation as you. Added to that, there may be practical issues to cope with. And the physical, emotional and psychological toll your diagnosis and treatment may take on you.
The page on ‘Support from others’ has information on support groups and on line forums where you may be able to make contact with other people who have HCC. There’s information about our helpline too. This is staffed by specialist liver nurses who can help you understand the tests and treatment you’ll need.
There is also information on that page for family and friends. It can be difficult to explain your cancer to people who haven’t come across it before. Doing this may make you feel guilty because it’s upsetting for them. It’s a big change to all your lives and they may also need some support.
I found it helped to write down the details of my diagnosis and possible treatment. I also started writing a blog. My family and friends could then read those to see how I was doing, so they didn’t need to keep asking. And I didn’t have to keep re-living my diagnosis by explaining the same thing over again!
Jackie, who’s had liver cancer
The issues faced by people with bile duct cancer, hepatocellular liver cancer (HCC) and gallbladder cancer are all pretty similar. They are all rare cancers affecting the same area of the body. So we’ve written one section to cover all liver cancer types.
There is information on
- Diet and Exercise
- Mental wellbeing
- Money matters
- Coping with advanced cancer
- Support from others
- Complementary and alternative therapies
Content last reviewed: October 2022
Next review date: October 2025