Sleep 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Many people can find that they have difficulty sleeping following a cancer diagnosis and during treatment.    Different people need different amounts of sleep, on average, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, but anything from six to ten hours is normal. As we get older, we sleep less deeply and wake up more during the night.  Sleeping …
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Weight changes  

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Many people experience changes to their weight following a cancer diagnosis. This may involve either weight gain or weight loss.  Weight loss can happen because of the cancer itself, or as a result of treatment side effects. These may include changes in taste, reduced appetite, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.   You can find more information on maintaining your weight during cancer treatment on our Nutrition and Healthy Eating pages.   Healthy …
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Lymphoedema 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

What is lymphoedema?  Lymphoedema is a build-up of lymphatic fluid under the skin, caused by failure of the lymphatic system. It can manifest as swelling.  The lymphatic system serves many functions: it maintains fluid balance in the body and is part of our body’s defence system to fight infection. It is a widespread network of see-through, fragile vessels that link all parts …
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Cognitive changes 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Some people can experience problems with cognition after a cancer diagnosis and during treatment.  Cognition refers to things like memory, the way we think and process information, and planning and organisation of tasks and daily activities.  Many people describe these changes as “brain fog” or “chemo brain”, although these changes are …
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Smoking and Cancer 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Stopping smoking has important benefits and many of these happen straight away. It is not easy to quit, but there are lots of resources to make this process easier.   This information from the NHS better health resources describes the changes to your body and the benefits of stopping smoking.  Quit …
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Alcohol and Cancer 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Cutting down on alcohol intake has important benefits for your general health and well being.  The world cancer research fund advises to protect yourself against cancer, to not drink at all. Alcohol does not have any benefits to prevent against developing cancer. For more information, see Alcohol and cancer | World Cancer Research Fund  Men and women are advised …
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Managing joint pain (Arthralgia) after a cancer diagnosis

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

What is joint pain (arthralgia)?  Joint pain is a sensation of discomfort, achiness, or tenderness in one or more of your joints. It can make movement difficult, leading to muscle weakness and increased stiffness, which often creates a cycle of worsening pain. Pain is most common in the hands and feet, …
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Support groups 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Facing cancer can sometimes feel overwhelming. Even with supportive friends and family, many people find themselves longing for connection with others who truly understand what they are going through. Cancer support groups offer a safe and compassionate space where people living with and beyond cancer and families can find strength …
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Bone health and cancer 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Cancer and its many treatments can affect the bones in different way. Sometimes these treatments can weaken your bones, this can happen in different ways.   Some anti-cancer treatments can cause bone loss and thinning  Some cancers can spread to the bones (see bone metastasis section below)  Cancer may affect bone building cells, which can weaken areas …
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Heart health and cancer treatment 

| Updated 12 Apr 2026

Cancer treatments can be very effective, but some of these treatments may occasionally affect the heart, by putting it under extra strain.  This strain can impact the heart in different ways, it may reduce how hard it can pump, it might change the rhythm of the heart (see Arrythmias), it might affect the blood pressure or inflame the heart …
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