Supportive Care

People with Head and Neck Cancer can have some symptoms that need extra care. ‘Supportive Care’ means services to help you, your family and friends to cope with these symptoms during treatment, recovery and life after cancer.

Common examples of things you need extra care for
Physical	Pain Fatigue Losing weight Trouble eating
Psychological	Anxiety Depression Fear of cancer coming back (recurrence) Coping with changes in how you look or speak that can affect activities with family and friends
Information	What type of cancer you have What your cancer might cause What you can do to cope with late effects What services can help
Social	Social support Practical support Family's needs
Spiritual	Feelings of hopelessness Feelings of despair Suffering

During your treatment, recovery and life after head and neck cancer, you may find a number of health professionals helpful, including:

A clinical nurse consultant
A supportive care specialist or palliative care doctor who is very skilled in helping with difficult symptoms
A dietitian to help you with your diet and nutrition
A speech pathologist to help with changes in speech, voice and swallowing
A physiotherapist to help your movement
An exercise physiologist to help you exercise
A dentist to look after your teeth and mouth health
A psychologist to help you with your emotions
A social worker or financial adviser to help you with practical and financial needs

Talk to your healthcare team about the support services available to you. Remember, what you need is likely to change over time. It may also be useful to talk to your partner, family or friends about what you are experiencing

Resources

Find Support

The Cancer Care Team