Coping with liver cancer

This page contains information about coping with primary liver cancer. There is information about

A quick guide to what's on this page
Coping with your diagnosis
How liver cancer can affect you physically
Coping practically with liver cancer
More information on coping with liver cancer

Coping with liver cancer

It can be very difficult coping with a diagnosis of cancer, both practically and emotionally. You are likely to be feeling very upset and confused.

As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of cancer brings, you have to work out how to manage practically. There may be money matters to sort out. Who do you tell you have cancer? There may be children or grandchildren to consider.

The ‘coping with cancer’ section of CancerHelp UK contains lots of information you may find helpful. There are sections on

Your feelings
Talking to people: who and what to tell
Talking to children
How you can help yourself
Who else can help you
Sex and sexuality
Coping financially

CR PDF Icon You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the Living with liver cancer section.

It can be very difficult coping with a diagnosis of liver cancer, both practically and emotionally. At first, you are likely to feel very upset, frightened and confused. Or feel that things are out of your control. It is very important to get the right information about your type of cancer and how it is best treated. People who are well informed about their illness and treatment are often more able to make decisions and cope better with what happens.

Liver cancer and its treatment may cause physical changes in your body. These changes can be very difficult to cope with and may affect the way you feel about yourself. Such changes can affect your self esteem and the way you relate to other people, especially close family and friends. Another problem you may have to cope with is feeling very tired and lethargic a lot of the time, especially for a while after treatment or if the liver cancer is advanced. There is information about fatigue and cancer and treating cancer fatigue in the section on coping physically with cancer. Liver cancer can make it more difficult for you to digest food, especially if you have surgery. There is information about coping with diet problems in the section on coping physically with cancer of CancerHelp UK.

If you are having a sexual relationship, one or all of these changes may affect your sex life. There is information about how cancer can affect your sex life in the coping with cancer section.

As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of liver cancer brings, you may also have to work out how to manage practically. There may be money matters to sort out. You may need information about financial support, such as benefits, sick pay and grants. Who do you tell that you have cancer? And how do you find the words? You may also have children or grandchildren to think about. CancerHelp UK has information about talking to people about your cancer and how and what to tell children.

Just try to remember that you do not have to sort everything out at once. It may take some time to deal with each issue. Do ask for help if you need it though. It is likely that your doctor or specialist nurse will know who you can contact to get some help. They can put you in touch with people specially trained in supporting people with cancer. These people are there to help and want you to feel that you have support. So use them if you feel you need to.

The coping with cancer section of CancerHelp UK has lots of helpful information. There are sections about

Your feelings
How you can help yourself
Who else can help you?
Mortgages, pensions, loans and insurance, including travel insurance

If you would like more detailed information about coping with liver cancer, contact our cancer information nurses, or liver cancer organisations. They will be happy to help. They often have free factsheets and booklets they can send to you. They may also be able to put you in touch with a support group. There is also a liver cancer reading list.

You can also find details of counselling organisations that can tell you more about counselling, and help you find sources of emotional support in your area.