Coping with nasal and sinus cancers

Men and women discussing nasal and sinus cancer

This page is about learning to cope with nasal or paranasal sinus cancer. There is information on

A quick guide to what's on this page
Dealing with changes in your life
Managing practicalities
Where to find more help and information

Coping with nasal and sinus cancer

It can be very difficult coping with a diagnosis of cancer, both practically and emotionally. At first, you are likely to feel very upset, frightened and confused. You may also have to come to terms with changes your cancer can cause to your

Eating
Breathing
Sight
Sense of smell
Hearing or
Appearance

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 that you have cancer? And how do you find the words? You may also have children to think about.

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. Your doctor or specialist head and neck cancer nurse can put you in touch with people who are specially trained in supporting those with cancer.

The coping with cancer section contains lots of information you may find helpful. There are sections on your feelings, talking to people about cancer, how to help yourself and who else can help you, sex and sexuality and financial support.

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

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

You may also have to come to terms with changes your cancer can cause to your

On top of this, you may also be trying to quit smoking, to reduce your risk of developing another cancer. This can be extremely difficult especially if you have smoked for many years. But try not to give yourself a hard time about it and add extra pressure. The best thing to do is to stay positive and believe that you can give up if you try hard enough. There is more about smoking, drinking alcohol and cancer risk on the Cancer Research UK news and resources website.

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 head and neck cancer nurse will know who you can contact to get some help.

They can put you in touch with people specially trained in supporting those with cancer. These people are there to help and want you to know that you have lots of support. So don’t hesitate to use them if you feel you need to.

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

If you would like more information about coping with nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer, contact our cancer information nurses. They will be happy to help.

There are also details of counselling organisations. They can tell you more about counselling and help you find sources of emotional support in your area.