WHAT NOT TO SAY TO SOMEONE WITH CANCER

It's the diagnosis every woman dreads, but loved ones can play an important part in making the road ahead just a little smoother

- SUSAN LEE

If someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer, knowing what to say and do to support them can prove difficult – what if you get it wrong?

In truth, there is no one correct way to support someone with cancer and every situation is different.

However, there are some things people can do – and say – to make the situation a little easier.

Criminal defence lawyer Rhona Lynch, 52, from Glasgow, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and has been cancer-free since 2016. “I was on my honeymoon when I found a pea-sized lump. I went on my own to the hospital because I didn’t think for a minute I had cancer,” she says. “It sent my world into complete orbit.”

After receiving her diagnosis, Rhona quickly started treatment. “I had chemotherapy first, then surgery and then radiotherapy. I was emotionally and physically drained,” she says. “But there was never a doubt in my mind when it came to telling people about it. It’s the support of others that got me through.”

In the process of being honest, Rhona admits that she received a range of responses from people – some of which were more helpful than others.

“People told me I was being brave, but in reality, I didn’t have a choice. My option was to go through treatment or not,” she says. “A lot of cancer clichés don’t mean anything. I much more appreciated personalised gestures, like from the friend who bought me an audiobook as she knew I drove a lot.”