Support of relatives and friends needed

The best way of helping someone who has cancer is by being ready and available to listen to him or her. It is better to encourage the person with cancer to talk about difficult matters even repeatedly than to try to get him or her to forget about the situation and think about other things. It is not dangerous to cry. On the contrary, it is often a relief and an aid to coping. The person who seems to be dealing with their illness calmly nevertheless needs just as much support as someone who overtly expresses their fear and anxiety.

It is sometimes disappointing when the person with cancer refuses support or withdraws. But this does not mean that care and concern are pointless. Many people who were ill recall their gratitude to those who showed their love when they themselves were able to do so least.

To listen to people who are ill demands that those close to them face their own feelings. If some things seem too difficult to manage, it is good to say so openly.

Being ill with cancer is a crisis that tests those close to you. They can receive support from the Finnish Cancer Organisations as well as from people close to them:

You can contact the national advice service of the Cancer Organisations, which has oncology nurses on duty. Contact details and service hours >>

You can visit the advice oncology nurse at you provincial cancer association. There is also an advice service run by the national organisation called Cancer Patients in Finland.

Some provincial cancer organisations have trained their own support persons. These are volunteers who are themselves the relatives of cancer patients. Everyone trained as a support person has signed a confidentiality pledge.

The provincial cancer organisations and the patient organisations also arrange meetings for relatives, support groups and courses.

Further information (in finnish):

You can access the discussion forum of the Finnish Cancer Organisations and under a pseudonym discuss with the relatives and friends of other cancer patients. The discussion is mainly in Finnish but you can also write in English.