Cancer Changes Behavior

Key takeaways

• When people receive a cancer diagnosis, it is common to search for “why me” explanations to reduce helplessness.
• The old theory of a “cancer-prone personality type” is considered debunked; it was built on flawed inference from already-diagnosed patients.
• The diagnosis and the healthcare system itself can change behavior: more compliance, more “good patient” behavior, and more internalized pressure.
• Guilt and shame can appear in multiple forms, including fear of being a burden to family.
• Stress matters, but the distinction between acute “good stress” and chronic stress is critical: chronic stress is what erodes functioning.

Why behavior changes

A recurring theme is that cancer can shift a person’s baseline: new constraints, a stricter system, and uncertainty. That context can make someone look more accommodating or conflict-avoidant, even if they were not like that when healthy.

Guilt, shame, and chronic stress

The interview highlights how often guilt shows up after diagnosis, including self-blame (“I caused this”) and relational guilt (“I don’t want to burden my family”). It also distinguishes chronic stress from stress that is motivating or performance-supporting.

Access to support

A practical question raised is where patients can get help when they cannot afford therapy. This is a real gap in many healthcare systems and a key area where structured, supervised support options matter.

In my interview published in HVG, I discuss how a cancer diagnosis can trigger not only physical but also a serious psychological crisis: many people experience guilt, shame, and intense anxiety. While many patients and their relatives are looking for support, there is little easily accessible, trained psychosocial support available through the national health system. Our AnnaAI fills this gap by providing humane, competent and anonymous assistance: available 24/7 at critical points in the patient journey, it supports those seeking help with understandable information and emotional support, in multiple languages.

This page is a summary and does not replace the original reporting. For the full context, read the HVG article.