By Blood Cancer United
Many patients and caregivers remember the early days of a cancer diagnosis clearly. Your life changes entirely.
“I was in a support group where I was the youngest person and told by the members I had ‘the good kind of cancer.’ I was unsure what to do with that statement; no cancer is good,” shares Theresa, who was 29 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Young adults especially are in a unique time of their lives—the start of a whole new chapter. Add in a cancer diagnosis and it’s even more confusing, frustrating, and scary.
Meet Theresa (Hodgkin lymphoma survivor), Aniayah (Hodgkin lymphoma survivor), Siobhan (chronic myeloid leukemia survivor), and Rachel (Hodgkin lymphoma survivor). All young adults. All told their blood cancer was “the good kind.”
While their friends were busy starting school or careers—gaining independence—a cancer diagnosis for each of them sent them into a whole different direction.
“It was helpful to have an answer, but it was a hard answer. Cancer is never an easy answer.” - Theresa, Hodgkin lymphoma survivor
There is no “good kind of cancer”
A phrase that was intended to be positive and hopeful—to help convey that their specific diagnosis may have higher survival rates relative to other cancers—felt dismissive and inaccurate.
Aniayah adds, “Hodgkin lymphoma is curable, but the treatment is aggressive, and you go through a lot that people don’t understand.”
The phrase may attempt to address that some blood cancers are acute and/or respond well to treatment, but doesn’t account for the personal and social implications of a cancer diagnosis. And regardless of its intention, oversimplifying prognosis, progression, and treatment responsiveness invalidates how complex—and scary—the whole experience is, especially for young adults.
Siobhan shares, “I was told all I needed to do was take a magic pill, and although accurate, I have to take cancer treatment medication daily for the remainder of my life.”
Every cancer is complex
No cancer is "good." And no treatment is “easy,” especially when you’re the patient.
Even highly treatable cancers require treatment—sometimes aggressive—and can cause anxiety, significant disruptions to life, and potential lifelong side effects. And the unique properties of each cancer (like specific gene mutations, other diseases, etc.) may lead patients, families, and their healthcare teams to think of the prognosis differently.
Your feelings about your diagnosis are valid. Statements like “you have the good kind of cancer” can minimize the seriousness of your situation, and the challenges you may face as a young adult with cancer.
Many young adults already harbor significant distrust in the healthcare system—often caused by delayed or misdiagnoses, dismissal of their symptoms by doctors, and the infrastructure that often fails to meet their unique needs.
Aniayah was misdiagnosed with HIV immediately before receiving her lymphoma diagnosis: “I was told I had HIV, then 30 minutes later, I was told I had Hodgkin lymphoma. I was trying to process an HIV diagnosis and cancer diagnosis, inform everyone who needed to know, and get treated for HIV. Once I was released from the hospital, I was informed I did not have HIV.”
For Siobhan, the feeling was a bit of a bait-and-switch. Told her cancer was “good,” she went into her oncologist and specialist appointments with lots of questions. She emerged with a deeper understanding of how her CML worked at a cellular level, and how chemotherapy would affect it—but that meant the "good" descriptor no longer made sense to her.
The worst part: this distrust can actually change medical outcomes if it leads young adults to avoid follow-up care, not adhere to treatment protocol, or feel additional emotional distress.
"At first, I felt reassured when I heard it was considered a ‘good’ kind of cancer. But once I truly understood what that meant, I felt resentful of the phrase. I’m fortunate that I didn’t need surgery or aggressive chemotherapy, but I still live with daily side effects from taking a chemo pill, and I will never be cured. I don’t get to celebrate the end of treatment. I will have this cancer for the rest of my life, and because I was diagnosed as a young adult, I will likely live longer with cancer than I ever did without it.” - Siobhan, chronic myeloid leukemia survivor
What you’re going through is unique
Managing a cancer diagnosis during young adulthood is not easy. Cancer can complicate education, career plans, and romantic relationships; bring heightened fertility concerns; and often, cause profound isolation from your peers.
It’s hard not to look around and see the drastic differences between what you thought your life would look like versus what it really is.
Aniayah was in graduate school when she was diagnosed. She continued to complete her coursework, but she could not keep working, so she had to navigate financial challenges on top of treatment. She’s now in remission but still has a port, experiences side effects like fatigue and nausea, and has follow-up appointments every three months.
She finds that, in remission, friends don’t always recognize that she still experiences the effects of cancer: “Someone invited me to something, and I wasn’t sure about going. She said, ‘You are not sick anymore, so there is no excuse.’ They expect me to be back to how I was before. I will never be that way.”
A cancer diagnosis changes you—physically, mentally, emotionally. Friendships may change and surprise you. Education or careers may continue or go “on hold.” Sometimes your perspective morphs into something totally new because of your experience.
What to say instead
There’s no doubt about it: the phrase, “the good kind of cancer” doesn’t apply to any cancer.
But the good news is this: treatment options for many cancers have come a long way. Thanks to ongoing research and scientific advancements, we hope to see a future without blood cancer altogether. And there’s a lot of work yet to be done to make that a reality.
Instead of “you have the good kind of cancer,” many young adults prefer honest, direct discussion with healthcare team members about diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
For friends and family
- Provide opportunities for a patient to share their experiences
- Ask a patient questions and listen to the phrases they use
- Ask how you can help
For professionals
- Use terms like “this cancer responds well to treatment”
- Have a direct discussion about diagnosis and prognosis
Rachel explains, “this doesn’t diminish the experience and challenge of going through it.” She feels a more direct approach would be effective in reducing the stress for those who might not respond to treatment or who might relapse.
For Theresa, the ability to share the reality of her experience would have been more helpful: “Just listening to a person’s story will help them understand how a person is feeling, if there is anything they could do to help, and provide an opportunity to learn together.”
Blood Cancer United has free resources for young adults
If you’re a young adult with blood cancer, you’re not alone.
Rachel has clear memories of each of her infusion treatment bags and how the nurses would sit with her and answer questions she had about each drug. But after her treatment, she found it challenging to deal with anxiety and identity shifts. Finding mental health support, resources from organizations like Blood Cancer United helped equip her with tools to manage these challenges.
Blood Cancer United has free resources to support you. Resources that might help you retain your independence, be your own advocate, and connect with other people who are going through something similar.
If you’re looking for a place to start, visit our young adult resource page, or reach out to a blood cancer Information Specialist. They're highly trained oncology social workers and nurses that can help you navigate questions or challenges your diagnosis brings up.
The bottom line is this: what you’re experiencing is hard. And it’s certainly not “good.” But regardless of whether your loved ones have the words, your feelings are valid and your survival is your own.
