Doctor on how a cancer diagnosis can affect a patient’s mental health
PROTECTION FROM SEVERE ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION. ACTOR DAVE COULIER, WHO STARRED AS UNCLE JOEY ON THE SHOW FULL HOUSE, IS NOW IN REMISSION AFTER A SECOND CANCER DIAGNOSIS. HE WAS INITIALLY DIAGNOSED WITH NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA AND AFTER UNDERGOING SEVEN MONTHS OF CHEMOTHERAPY, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS CANCER FREE. BUT DURING A FOLLOW UP EXAM, DOCTORS DID DISCOVER A SECOND, COMPLETELY UNRELATED TYPE OF TONGUE CANCER. HE UNDERWENT 35 RADIATION TREATMENTS AND IS NOW IN REMISSION AGAIN. I NEVER WANTED TO BE THE POSTER BOY FOR CANCER. BELIEVE ME. BUT NOW I FEEL LIKE I CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET THOSE PROSTATE EXAMS AND MAMMOGRAMS AND AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TALK TO YOUR DOCTORS AND, AND GET AHEAD OF THIS, COULIER SAYS. IN BOTH CASES, EARLY DETECTION SAVED HIS LIFE. BOTH CASES, HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW GOING THROUGH TREATMENT REALLY TOOK A LOT OUT OF HIM PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY. HERE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IS DOCTOR ALICE CONNORS OF TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO. YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT JUST COULIER’S EXPERIENCE. MANY PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT SHOCK OF HEARING THOSE WORDS. YOU HAVE CANCER. DOES ANYONE EVER REALLY GET OVER THAT? BEING DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER CAN CAUSE MANY DIFFERENT INTENSE FEELINGS. ANXIETY, SADNESS, FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, ANGER AND MANY OF THESE FEELINGS CONTINUE OVER THE COURSE OF TREATMENT AND EVEN AFTER TREATMENT IS OVER. ABOUT 30% OF CANCER PATIENTS ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER AS A RESULT OF THEIR DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT, INCLUDING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND EVEN PTSD. FORTUNATELY, THERE’S A LOT OF RESEARCH ON CANCER AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND A LOT OF THERAPIES AND STRATEGIES THAT EXIST OR ARE EMERGING TO SUPPORT PEOPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING THROUGH DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND REMISSION. AND FORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CANCER ALSO HAVE FAMILIES WHO RALLY AROUND THEM AND SUPPORT THEM. SO I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT, AND IT’S BEEN CALLED A FAMILY DISEASE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? YEAH. SO CANCER TREATMENT IS OFTEN VERY INTENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING AND REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT CAREGIVING FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SO PEOPLE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER EXPERIENCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF IT. BUT CAREGIVERS CAN ALSO FACE A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES THROUGHOUT A LOVED ONE’S CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, INCLUDING SOCIAL ISOLATION, CAREGIVER BURDEN, WATCHING THEIR LOVED ONE IN PAIN AND DISCOMFORT. AND THESE EXPERIENCES CAN LEAD TO FEELINGS OF DISTRESS, ANXIETY, SADNESS, AND BURNOUT. YOU KNOW, AS A PSYCHOLOGIST, WHEN WOULD YOU WORRY? YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE IN THAT POSITION? YEAH, THIS IS KIND OF A COMPLICATED QUESTION. DURING SUCH AN UNUSUALLY STRESSFUL AND SCARY TIME. IT CAN BE HARD TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT’S NORMAL AND WHAT’S NOT. SO I REALLY THINK THE BIGGEST THING TO LOOK OUT FOR, BOTH FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS, IS SOCIAL ISOLATION. PEOPLE UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY THAN OTHERS TO EXPERIENCE SOCIAL ISOLATION, WHICH IN TURN CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND TREATMENT OUTCOMES. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR CONNORS, THANK
Doctor on how a cancer diagnosis can affect a patient’s mental health
Updated: 5:09 PM EST Feb 4, 2026
Tufts Medical Center’s Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren said a cancer diagnosis can cause anxiety, sadness, fear, uncertainty, and especially anger. 30% of cancer patients experience a psychological disorder as a result of their diagnosis.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
Tufts Medical Center’s Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren said a cancer diagnosis can cause anxiety, sadness, fear, uncertainty, and especially anger. 30% of cancer patients experience a psychological disorder as a result of their diagnosis.