For Patients & Caregivers

A diagnosis of cancer can be overwhelming. Anxiety, depression, isolation, and fear are just a few of the emotions experienced by cancer patients and their loved ones. If you are experiencing one or more of these emotions, know that you are not alone. In fact, nearly one-quarter of people living with cancer are also living with depression,1 and up to 20 percent are at risk for clinically significant anxiety.2 These emotional impacts extend beyond patients themselves, caregivers, family members, and friends.

A diagnosis of cancer can be overwhelming. Anxiety, depression, isolation, and fear are just a few of the emotions experienced by cancer patients and their loved ones. If you are experiencing one or more of these emotions, know that you are not alone. In fact, up to one-quarter of people living with cancer also live with depression,1 and about 4 out of 10 are at risk for clinically significant anxiety.2 These emotional impacts extend beyond patients themselves, caregivers, family members, and friends.

Talking about mental health and emotional wellness with your healthcare team is a vital part of your comprehensive cancer care. Accessing mental health tools and resources not only can help you during treatment but they can also improve your overall quality of life and health outcomes.

Learn more about valuable emotional wellness and mental health resources available here.

Patient & Caregiver Stories

We spoke with patients and caregivers to hear their personal journeys with mental health and cancer. Please take a moment to listen to their stories.

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How important is your care team in helping you care for your mental health?

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How important is the role of mental health in coping with a diagnosis of cancer?

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What challenges do caregivers face when coping with mental health and your loved one’s cancer diagnosis?

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How important are supportive resources and advocacy tools in coping emotionally with a diagnosis of cancer?

Publications, Infographics & Fact Sheets

With support from BeiGene, a recent Cancer Support Community (CSC) survey of more than 600 US. cancer patients and survivors who self-identify as having experienced an emotional or mental health concern brought to light some key insights around how cancer impacts mental health, patients’ unmet emotional wellness needs, barriers to accessing mental health care, and what resources they find most helpful.3

Videos

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BeiGene’s Dr. Christiane Langer and Dr. Mark Lanasa Share a Physician’s Perspective on Cancer & Mental Health

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Cancer Support Community’s Eucharia Borden and BeiGene’s Maia Thrift-Perry Discuss How Cancer & Mental Health are Related

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Patient Geoff Grubbs on the Benefits of Mental Health Support

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Patient Terry Evans on His Experience with Cancer and Mental Health

  • 1 Krebber et al. (2013). Prevalence of depression in cancer patients: a meta-analysis of diagnostic interviews and self-report instruments. Psycho-oncology, 23(2), 121-30.
  • 2 Mitchell, A. J., Chan, M., Bhatti, H., Halton, M., Grassi, L., Johansen, C., & Meader, N. (2011). Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder in oncological, haematological, and palliative-care settings: a meta-analysis of 94 interview-based studies. The Lancet. Oncology, 12(2), 160–174.
  • 3 Cancer Support Community (2022). Cancer Experience Registry Spotlight Survey: Identifying Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Care among Cancer Patients and Survivors [Unpublished data, August 2021].