How to Deal With Cancer Anxiety

Guest post by Mike Linn. Opinions are those of the author.

I’ll freely admit this as someone who didn’t get anxious much before my advanced melanoma diagnosis at the age of 30: ignorance is bliss. But bliss sometimes gets interrupted by mutating cells.

Now that I’m seven years into navigating the world of anxiety (specifically, cancer-induced anxiety), I’ve gotten good at identifying this unwanted emotional response and coping with it in a variety of ways.

I can’t guarantee these ideas will bring you success, but if you’re like me, you’ll try anything to stop grinding your teeth and shaking your head. Let’s get healthier together.

What is Anxiety?

This might seem reductive for most people, but I legitimately didn’t understand how anxiety worked less than a decade ago.

Anxiety is a normal response to stress or danger, characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease. It’s a psychological state ranging from mild discomfort to intense fear. In the context of cancer, anxiety can bubble up from concerns about treatment, prognosis, or other life issues that are now impacted by your situation. 

In my experience, anxiety is highly correlated to worrying about conditions that don’t exist yet or things that I don’t truly control. But regardless of when, how, or why anxiety visits me, my goal is to deal with it logically.

How a Cancer Diagnosis Can Cause Anxiety

There are a wide range of cancer diagnoses and even more complex human emotional responses to each situation. It’s not just our fear of the disease itself and having to grapple with death and mortality, but also the enormous in-between.

Cancer and its treatment can significantly affect our:

• Physical vitality
• Mental health
• Financial stability
• Romantic relationships
• Family dynamics
• Quality of life

This list isn’t to scare you. It’s just the reality of what cancer can yield, and it makes it all the more important we share our anxieties, fears, and how to deal with them.

Ways to Deal With Cancer Anxiety

For most of my life, I could pick up a basketball to shoot around and my brain would calm down. This method still works for some things, but cancer anxiety is complex, unrelenting, and often requires more attention than simple distraction.

Here are some methods you can employ to reduce cancer anxiety:

• Exercise: Whatever form of physical activity makes you feel best will suffice. Beyond the mood benefit, there’s now real evidence behind this: a randomized trial published in 2025 found that people who followed a structured exercise program after chemotherapy for colon cancer had better five-year disease-free survival than those who didn’t. It was the first trial to show exercise improving cancer outcomes rather than just quality of life. That study was in colon cancer, so don’t assume the same numbers apply to your diagnosis, but do ask your team what’s safe and sensible for you.
• Therapy: Traditional therapy isn’t for everyone, but seeing a counselor or going to group therapy is very effective for many people. At a minimum, I believe most cancer patients should try therapy.
  If you don’t know where to start, ask your oncology team directly. Most cancer centers have oncology social workers or a psycho-oncology service, and a referral from your team is usually the fastest route in. It’s also worth knowing that anxiety is treatable with medication as well as with talk therapy, and that’s a conversation your oncologist or primary care doctor can start. The American Cancer Society’s helpline (1-800-227-2345) runs 24/7 and can point you to local programs if you’d rather start outside your treatment center.
• Meditation or Mindfulness: It can be challenging to stay present during a cancer diagnosis. Practices like meditation or mindfulness (things like deep breathing or visualization) can allow you to focus your energy on the moment you’re in and future moments that you’ll encounter.
• Support Groups: The internet is a wonderful place to talk with like-minded cancer patients who have similar experiences. If there are local support groups for your type of cancer or people who have gone through cancer-related trauma, these are also wonderful safe spaces.
• Journaling: Sometimes it helps to see your inner monologue on paper. I often write my anxious thoughts down and revisit them a month later to see if they had any rational basis. They usually don’t.

These are just some of the ways you can address your anxiety related to cancer. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and I advise trying a number of things to see what sticks. 

How to Help Your Family or Loved Ones With Cancer Anxiety

Cancer mental health issues don’t just affect us as patients. In fact, I often make the argument that we need to support partners, caregivers, children, and parents just as much as the patients on the mental and emotional side of things.

While it can feel isolating and scary to go through cancer, we can lessen the burden for everyone by doing some of the following things:

• Communicate Openly: The instinct to internalize anxiety or cancer fears is understandable, but your friends, family, and support network might benefit more from an open dialogue.
• Encourage Professional Help: Therapy isn’t just for the patient. Partners, children, and family members might benefit from expressing their feelings to a mental health professional.
  
• Celebrate and Mourn Together: Cancer is a weird roller coaster of emotions. Sharing our emotions (both positive and negative) can help bring us closer during this ridiculously stressful time.

Ultimately, anxiety is going to play a role in our cancer experience no matter how much preparation or attention we give it. The only thing we can do is not let it consume us and treat it appropriately, with respect and disdain all at the same time. This process is difficult alone, so try to find your tribe of people who can help you get through it in one piece. I promise it’s worth it.

About the author: Mike Linn is a writer, athlete, business owner, and now a cancer patient advocate. He was first diagnosed with stage 3c metastatic melanoma at the age of 30 and had a stage 4 recurrence in 2023 at 35. In a better effort to understand the mental health side of being a cancer patient, he began posting content to social media and support groups and has yet to stop talking about his cancer experience both personally and professionally. Mike also loves candy and is determined to dispel the notion that sugar specifically feeds cancer, or he is at least hopeful that research will prove this.

Disclaimer: All content and information provided in connection with Manta Cares is solely intended for informational and educational purposes only.  This content and information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.