Lung Foundation Australia
Services offered
Cancer information
Support from cancer nurses
Emotional support
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Overview
For some people, the cancer goes away with treatment, while other people will have ongoing treatment.
Talk to your GP if you need help dealing with depression or anxiety. You will have follow-up appointments to check that the cancer hasn’t come back or spread.
What's on this page
Adjusting to living with lung cancer
Life after a diagnosis of lung cancer can present many challenges. It is important to allow yourself time to adjust to the physical and emotional changes. Establish a daily routine that suits you and the symptoms you’re coping with and talk to your health care team about any concerns. Your family and friends may also need time to adjust. They might benefit from reading this information.
For some people, the cancer goes away with treatment. Other people will have ongoing treatment to manage symptoms. You are likely to feel a range of emotions about having lung cancer. Talk to your treatment team if you are finding it hard to manage your emotions.
Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 can also provide you with some strategies for coping with the emotional and practical aspects of living with lung cancer.
Dealing with feelings of sadness
If you have continued feelings of sadness, have trouble getting up in the morning or have lost motivation to do things that previously gave you pleasure, you may be experiencing depression. This is quite common among people who have had cancer.
Talk to your GP, because counselling or medication – even for a short time – may help. Some people can get a Medicare rebate for sessions with a psychologist. Cancer Council may also run a counselling program in your area.
For information about coping with depression and anxiety, call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. For 24-hour crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Follow up appointments
Whether treatment ends or is ongoing, you will have regular appointments to manage any long-term side effects and check that the cancer hasn’t come back or spread. During these check-ups, you will usually have a physical examination and you may have chest x-rays, CT scans and blood tests. You will also be able to discuss how you’re feeling and mention any concerns you may have.
Check-ups after treatment usually happen every 3–6 months for the first couple of years and every 6–12 months for the following 3 years. When a follow-up appointment or test is approaching, many people feel anxious (“scananxiety”). Talk to your treatment team or call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 if you are finding it hard to manage this anxiety.
Between follow-up appointments, let your doctor know immediately of any symptoms or health problems.
What if the cancer returns?
For some people, lung cancer does come back after treatment, which is known as a recurrence. Lung cancer is more likely to recur in the first 5 years after diagnosis. If the cancer returns, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you. These will depend on the type of lung cancer, where the cancer has recurred, and the stage and grade.
Whichever treatment you are given or choose to have, support from palliative care specialists and nurses can help you manage symptoms. Talk to your doctor about how to get this support.
See Palliative care or listen to our podcast series The Thing About Advanced Cancer.
Relevant support
National Lung Cancer Screening Program
Australian Government
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Cancer screening
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