Question: how does cancer affect people?

Jimi Wills answered on 16 Mar 2016:

Good question.

Firstly, cells in the body are growing out of control… that’s cancer. So they are using up a lot of energy… so people can fell tired.

When somebody first finds out they might have cancer, they get really scared… which is a natural response. That’s why there are support services to help people deal with it.

Cancer also affects the families of the sufferer, emotionally and mentally… which can have physical effects too.

If a tumour gets large, it can be very painful, and can also put pressure on nearby organs, affecting their function.

Tumours often make hormones, the bodies messenger molecules. This can affect the body in big ways, and change the mood of the person too.

If a cancer spreads it is usually very painful and the body really struggles to function properly.

Often, people with cancer have to undergo chemotherapy, which makes them feel terrible.

When cancer is cured, or at least removed, the person will fell much better. But often they will have psychological issues because of their brush with death. Again, there’s support for this.