The devastating words ‘You have cancer’ can make a room go suffocatingly silent. The day my grandma was diagnosed, I could do nothing but watch as her world was completely shattered. I could do nothing but watch as the news broke to my family alongside her. That feeling of helplessness is a heavy weight that anyone who has loved a cancer patient knows all too well.
Our immediate focus naturally went to what we could control: her physical survival. We threw ourselves into numerous doctor's appointments, exhausting chemotherapy sessions, and strict treatment plans. What we failed to realise was that the deepest wound she carried was one hidden from plain sight. We were so focused on the fight for her life that the silent collapse of her mind went completely unnoticed. By the time it became obvious how desperately she needed that emotional support, the damage had already been done.
Her treatment took place in Bangladesh: a country suffering from a severe scarcity of medical resources. This meant her physical survival was the only priority. Mental health support was a luxury she could not have as a patient. So I could do nothing but watch. Watch as that anxiety, that intense sense of isolation, took hold of her.
The worst part was her daily terror. She was so afraid of dying, but simultaneously tortured by the thought of us exhausting our savings to help her fight a seemingly losing battle. It is the kind of paradoxical struggle that those of us from the outside can never truly fathom. This experience proved to me why specialised psychiatric care is an absolute necessity for cancer patients, never a luxury.
To confront the psychological element, we first need to understand the clinical side of this disease. Cancer is a ‘biological invasion’. It is essentially when abnormal cells divide uncontrollably in the body, destroying healthy tissue. We always hear about the physical destruction of this horrifying illness. Rarely do we hear about the equally destructive psychological weight it carries.
According to Radio Canada International (RCI), about 1 in 5 people globally develop some form of cancer in their lifetime (1 - RCI, 2024). With rising life expectancy, the number of cases is expected to increase. Public health data demonstrates that cancer claims nearly 10 million lives annually, with millions more diagnosed every year.
However, the true scale of this devastation is much more than meets the eye. When we look at these statistics, we must recognise that behind every single diagnosis is a human being. A human being who was so suddenly thrust into the same emotional turmoil my grandmother had to face. Even further, every single one of these 10 million people has a family. Families who, just like me, felt like they could do nothing but watch.
That sense of helplessness is exactly why our approach to cancer should stem from the fact that ultimately, prevention is better than a cure. We do not always have to simply sit and watch. While some cases are genetic and hard to avoid, almost 40% of cancer cases are currently due to preventable causes, such as tobacco, poor diet, lack of physical exercise, and chronic infections (2 - World Health Organisation, 2026). Acknowledging these risks can allow individuals to take control of their own health.
When prevention is not possible, our second most important solution becomes early detection. Catching cancer before it spreads across the body can drastically improve survival rates - this could alter a patient's psychological well-being by replacing that terrifying feeling of a deadly disease with hope. Paying attention to early warnings such as significant weight loss, persistent fatigue, and unusual lumps is crucial. Regular pap smears, mammography, and colonoscopies are designed to help with detecting cellular changes before physical symptoms even occur. This approach could change life-ending statistics into beautiful survival stories.
Still, whether cancer is caught early or must be dealt with in its later stages, the psychological effects of it are a topic that demands immediate attention. My grandma’s experience perfectly mirrors data from the American Cancer Society, which states that mental health issues in cancer patients tend to occur in specific stages, particularly when the patient is first diagnosed, when they start treatment, when they experience side effects, and when they finish treatment and move to survivorship care. These are the times when cancer patients require strength, courage, and support. (3 - American Cancer Society, 2026).
Providing this support is not just for comfort; it is a necessity as the mind and the body are fundamentally interlinked. Professional counselling, support groups, and families can have a monumental positive effect on cancer patients’ mental and physical health just by providing help and support. Specialised support mechanisms should not be a second thought or treated as a luxury; they should be integrated into a patient's treatment plans. Approximately 73% of cancer patients with depression may not receive adequate care, leaving them alone and helpless in such dark periods of their lives (4 - National Library of Medicine, 2023). This staggering gap exists because modern oncology remains fragmented. Doctors are trained to monitor blood counts and tumour sizes, often leaving the human attached to this data behind. Adding to this failure is the deep stigma around mental illness. Many patients will suffer in silence, fearing they will be seen as weak or ungrateful. Or, just like my grandmother, they may not want to add stress to their already struggling families.
Family members listening to the patient's concerns with no judgement, friends visiting, and caregivers taking the patient outside to socialise could all have an insightful impact on a patient's health. Alongside the psychiatric aid, sympathetic acts of kindness matter immensely. Just a simple text asking how the patient is, a home-cooked meal dropped off at the patient's doorstep by individuals in the community, a family member helping financially, or a friend sitting in a chemotherapy session, providing noiseless support, are interventions that will only benefit the cancer patient. It reminds them that they have the full support of a community and family behind them.
Dramatic advances in oncology are also helpful to calm a patient, with discoveries in treatments occurring frequently. At the very front, immunology is undergoing groundbreaking developments. It trains a cancer patient's own immune system to recognise, track down, and destroy malignant cells. mRNA vaccines are also advancing, which trains the immune system to fight specific infectious diseases without introducing an actual virus (5 - National Library of Medicine, 2024).
All these breakthroughs infuse the global community with newfound optimism, a feeling that is perfectly seen through World Cancer Day. This day is more than just a date on a calendar; it unites researchers, advocates, and, most importantly, provides substantial support to cancer patients. It ensures that a spotlight is shone on the colossal developments, spreading global hope through every inch of the world.
Ultimately, conquering cancer requires recognising that it does not just impact patients physically. Overcoming this disease is a commitment that must be sustained long after diagnosis. It should not be confined to a single awareness month, nor a belief tied to a colourful ribbon. Looking back, I think of my grandma, sitting lonely in a dimly lit hospital room in Bangladesh. I think of how she suffered, trying to navigate the anxiety and grief that was invisible to the people around her. By demanding a world where there is unwavering empathy towards cancer patients and their families, a world where medical breakthroughs also surround mental health support, we could completely change what it means to survive this disease: a mental triumph as well as a physical victory.
Awareness leads to early action. Support brings strength. Hope inspires healing. We can ensure that future grandmothers and families are never left alone to navigate those invisible wounds in the dark. And perhaps, we as families will never again feel like all we could do was sit and watch.
The author is studying at the St Christopher’s School, Bahrain
