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Cancer treatment, step by step: what to expect
What treatment actually involves: how the plan is decided, what to prepare before the first session, what changes along the way, and where to find practical support.
medical review in progress· 7 min read
Your breast cancer pathology report: what to look for and what to ask
A map of a biopsy or surgical pathology report: type, invasiveness, grade, margins, lymph nodes, and biomarkers, without self-interpretation.
· 7 min read
How a breast cancer treatment plan is decided
The factors the team considers together: stage, type, biomarkers, treatment goals, general health, and the person's preferences.
· 7 min read
I got my pathology report and I do not understand it: what to do with the fear until your appointment
Why a pathology report is written for doctors, not patients, what you can do during the days of waiting, and why searching the terms online causes harm right now.
· 6 min read
Diagnosis, tests and treatment
I got my pathology report and I do not understand it: what to do with the fear until your appointmentWhy a pathology report is written for doctors, not patients, what you can do during the days of waiting, and why searching the terms online causes harm right now.6 min readHow a breast cancer treatment plan is decidedThe factors the team considers together: stage, type, biomarkers, treatment goals, general health, and the person's preferences.7 min readYour breast cancer pathology report: what to look for and what to askA map of a biopsy or surgical pathology report: type, invasiveness, grade, margins, lymph nodes, and biomarkers, without self-interpretation.7 min readWhat tests and medical records say: terms and questions for your clinicianA guide to the structure of laboratory tests, imaging reports and pathology results, without interpreting individual values.7 min readWhat comes after treatment: what follow-up visits are forWhy follow-up does not mean endless testing, what it actually checks, why it differs between people, and which documents are worth asking for at the end.6 min readCancer treatment, step by step: what to expectWhat treatment actually involves: how the plan is decided, what to prepare before the first session, what changes along the way, and where to find practical support.medical review in progress7 min readCancer treatments in brief: what common terms meanShort explanations of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy and stem cell transplantation.6 min read
Prepare and organise
Why we may be more open to influence after a diagnosis: protecting decisionsA cautious explanation of stress, information overload and decision-making, with a practical filter for recommendations that does not delay necessary care.7 min readYour first oncology appointment: what to bring and what to write downA short checklist for documents, questions and notes to make your first appointment easier to follow. Always confirm the exact requirements with the clinic.5 min readWhat to keep after an appointment: a simple resource for homeA short structure for confirmed information, unanswered questions and the next step after an oncology appointment.4 min read
Everyday life
Fiber: how much you need a day, and what it does in your gutFiber is food for the bacteria in your gut. How much is recommended per day, which foods it comes from, how to increase your intake without discomfort, and when to ask your team first.6 min readInsomnia in cancer can be treated — and not with sleeping pills firstThere is a short therapy for insomnia, recommended before sleeping pills, with effects that last after the sessions end. What it is, what it looks like, and how to ask for it.6 min readGut bacteria and cancer: what has been proven and what has notWhat the microbiome is, the one proven link between a bacterium and cancer, what is being researched now, and why no one can yet say what a healthy gut looks like.6 min readWhat kind of movement helps with fatigue after treatment sessionsLight movement reduces cancer-related fatigue more than extra rest does. How much, what kind, how to start on bad days, and where the limit is.6 min readThey cannot sleep at night, no matter the medication: what helpsA guide for caregivers: why nights fall apart during treatment, what you can change tonight, what will not be fixed by advice, and when to call.6 min readI am tired all the time after chemo drugs — is that normal?Cancer-related fatigue is not lack of sleep and does not improve with more rest. What sets it apart, what parts of it can be treated, and when it is worth investigating.6 min read
Mind, emotions and relationships
When people withdraw after a diagnosis: it does not mean it is your faultA gentle framework for understanding other people's reactions, asking for practical help and setting boundaries without treating their silence as a judgement about you.4 min readWhat actually helps when you feel overwhelmed — and what gets overstatedWhich methods have real support in guidelines for anxiety and low mood in cancer, which claims circulate without evidence, and how to choose between them without wasting time.7 min readFive phrases for a clinician when a patient is frightenedFive short ways a clinician can acknowledge fear, explain uncertainty and establish the next step without promises or pressure.4 min readTalking to a child about cancer: gentle ideas for parentsSteps for an honest, age-appropriate conversation without false promises, leaving room for questions and support through changes in family life.6 min readI finished treatment and I feel lost: why this part is hardThe period after the last treatment session surprises many people. Why support disappears exactly when you are expected to feel better, and what helps in the first few months.6 min readI am exhausted caring for someone with cancerCaregiver burnout is not selfishness and not a sign that you love too little. How to recognize it, what keeps it going, and what you can concretely ask for.6 min readI am afraid it will come back, every time something hurtsFear of recurrence is the most common worry after treatment. Why it flares up before check-ups, what keeps it going, and what can be done about it.6 min readSupport groups: what actually helpsWhat support groups have been shown to do, what they cannot promise, who they tend to help most, and how to recognize a group that is not doing you good.6 min readDoes loneliness matter for your health? The real numberWhat the studies show about isolation and cancer, how large the effect really is, the most likely explanation, and what is worth doing with this information.5 min readDoes stress cause cancer? What the large studies showThe short answer is no. What the large studies actually checked, why the question keeps coming back, and what actually matters about the stress you are under right now.5 min read
Rights, services and support
How long it takes for treatment to start, and what to do while you waitWhy the wait differs so much from person to person, what actually happens during those weeks, what you can speed up, and what to ask so you are not left in the dark.6 min readFrom suspicion to diagnosis: what the path looks likeThe stages between the first suspicion and a confirmed diagnosis, who decides at each one, which documents you gather along the way, and where the most time is usually lost.7 min read
Safety and when to seek help
How do I boost my immunity? What you can and cannot doWhy 'boosting immunity' is not a treatment method, what immunotherapy actually does, and what to watch for with supplements marketed in oncology.6 min readProbiotics and microbiome tests: what your money is wasted onThe risks of live-bacteria products when your immunity is low, what a study in melanoma patients showed about fiber versus supplements, and why microbiome tests cannot tell you whether your gut is healthy.6 min read