Coping with nasopharyngeal cancer

You might have lots of emotions to cope with when you are diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer. The treatment and cancer can cause changes in your body which can affect how you feel about yourself.

There is support available to help you cope during and after treatment.

Your feelings

You are likely to have a range of emotions that change very quickly. You might feel upset, frightened and confused. One day you might feel positive and able to cope but the next day feel the exact opposite. This is natural.

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. Changes can affect:

• your self esteem
• the way you relate to others, especially close family and friends
• your relationships

You might have to cope with feeling very tired and lethargic, especially after treatment.

Counselling can help you to cope with the difficulties you’ll face. It can help to reduce your stress and improve your quality of life.

Helping yourself

You may be more able to cope and make decisions if you have information about your type of cancer and its treatment. Information helps you to know what to expect.

Taking in information can be difficult, especially when you have just been diagnosed or given sad news about your outlook. Make a list of questions before you see your doctor. Take someone with you to remind you what you want to ask. They can also help you to remember the information that was given. Getting a lot of new information can feel overwhelming.

Ask your doctors and nurse specialists to explain things again if you need them to.

You might feel that you don’t want to know much information straight away. Tell your doctor or nurse. You will always be able to ask for more information when you feel ready.

Remember that you don’t have to sort everything out at once. It might take some time to deal with each issue. Ask for help if you need it.

You can also do practical things such as:

• making lists to help you
• having a calendar with all appointments
• having goals
• planning enjoyable things around weeks that might be emotionally difficult for you

Talking to other people

Talking to your friends and relatives about your cancer can help and support you. But some people are scared of the emotions this could bring up and won’t want to talk. They might worry that you won't be able to cope with your situation or be afraid they will say the wrong thing.

It can strain relationships if your family or friends don't want to talk. But talking can help increase trust and support between you and them.

Help your family and friends by letting them know if you would like to talk about what’s happening and how you feel.

You might find it easier to talk to someone other than your own friends and family. We have cancer information nurses you can call on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Or you may prefer to see a counsellor.

Specialist nurses can also help if you’re finding it difficult to cope or you have any problems. They can get you the help you need. They can also give you information.

Cancer chat 

You can chat with other people affected by cancer in our online forum

Coping with the physical effects of nasopharyngeal cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer and its treatment are likely to cause some physical problems. These might affect the way you feel about yourself. It may also affect the way you relate to others.

Your treatment can cause side effects, such as sickness, a sore or dry mouth, or thick saliva. The side effects can be mild or more severe. They usually get better once treatment finishes but they can continue for some time afterwards. Tell your doctor or nurse if you have any side effects or if they get worse. They can treat them and help you find ways of coping.

Tiredness

You may feel very tired and lacking in energy (fatigue) during treatment and for some time afterwards. This is common in a lot of people who have cancer and cancer treatment. Resting and doing some gentle physical activity can help. Fatigue can also be an issue with advanced cancer.

Nasopharyngeal cancer can spread to nearby parts of the head and neck. These parts may include the:

• nose and paranasal sinuses
• mouth
• back of the throat (oropharynx)

If the cancer has spread, then you might have changes with:

• the way you look
• how you can eat
• your hearing
• your sight

All these changes can be very difficult to cope with and affect the way you feel about yourself. They can affect your self esteem and the way you relate to others, especially those very close to you. If you are in a sexual relationship, one or all of these changes might also affect your sex life.

Coping practically

You and your family might need to cope with practical things including:

• money matters
• financial support, such as benefits, sick pay and grants
• work issues
• childcare
• Blue Badge applications
• help with travel costs
• changes to your house

Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse to find out who can help.  You might be able to get some benefits for yourself and the person caring for you. You might also be able to get grants for heating costs, holidays and other household expenses related to your illness.

Getting help early with these things can mean that they don’t become a big issue later. It may be helpful to see a social worker. Many hospital cancer departments have a social worker available for patients.

Giving up smoking

Your doctor will advise you to try to give up smoking, if you still smoke after your treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.

Giving up smoking can be very difficult, especially if you have smoked for a long time. But it does give you many benefits, which include:

• reducing your risk of getting another head and neck cancer
• reducing your risk of getting a different smoking related cancer
• helping your recovery by preventing some of the side effects

Your doctor or specialist nurse can give you contact details of services that can help you stop smoking.

Support at home for you and your family

You might need some care and support at home due to nasopharyngeal cancer and its treatment.

GP and nursing support

Your GP manages your healthcare when you are at home. They can help with any medical problems that come up. They can also make referrals to a community service for you. The availability of the different community services may vary, depending on where you live.

Community or district nurse

These nurses work in different places in your local area and may visit you in your home. They can:

• give medicines or injections

• check temperature, blood pressure and breathing

• clean and dress wounds

• monitor or set up drips

• give emotional support

• teach basic caring skills to family members where needed

• get special equipment such as hospital beds, special mattresses, commodes or bed pans

Community services vary from area to area. Your hospital specialist nurse can tell you what is locally available to you.

Community palliative care nurses

Community specialist palliative care nurses advise on pain control, sickness, and other cancer symptoms. These are, for example, Macmillan nurses or hospice nurses.

They also give emotional support to both you and your carers.

Marie Curie nurse

Marie Curie nurses give nursing care to people with advanced cancer in their own homes. They can visit during the day or spend the night in your home to give your carers a break.

Spiritual support

Some people find great comfort in religion. You might find it helpful to talk to:

• a local minister
• a hospital chaplain
• a religious leader of your faith

Social workers

Social workers can help to support you with your situation at home. They can arrange:

• home helps to help with shopping or housework
• home care assistants for washing and dressing
• meals on wheels
• respite care

Your social worker can also help with money matters by checking you get all the benefits you are entitled to. Or they can advise you about charity grants for things like extra heating costs or special diets.

Contact a social worker yourself by getting in touch with your local social services office. Or ask your hospital nurse or your GP to refer you.

Local support services

There is usually other help available but services can vary from place to place.

Sometimes local voluntary groups offer sitting services. Someone comes to stay with you while your relative goes out.

Good neighbour schemes offer befriending or practical help with shopping or transport.

Local cancer support groups often offer practical help. And they are a good source of information about services in your area. Ask your doctor or nurse about local groups.

You may find it helpful to go to a support group to talk to other people affected by cancer. Ask your nurse if they run a head and neck cancer support group in the hospital. Or you can look up local cancer information and support services on the NHS website.

Support groups

Help and support is available. It might help you to share your worries or sense of loss with others who have been through similar experiences. You could also get in touch with one of the organizations that support people with head and neck cancer.