Survivorship
Survivorship is living with, through, and beyond cancer. Cancer survivorship begins at diagnosis and continues during treatment and through the rest of your life.
Survivorship Quicklinks:
Common feelings after getting a kidney cancer diagnosis
A kidney cancer diagnosis can be shocking. You may feel confused, angry, sad, scared, or a combination of all of these emotions. You may also just feel numb. All of these feelings are normal. It may help to know that other people have felt the same way you do.
Here are some common feelings after getting a kidney cancer diagnosis:
- Grief – you may feel grief over your change in health or the life you had before your diagnosis. Allow yourself to grieve these losses. Take the time you need to accept these changes in your life. You can also talk with a grief counselor if you need help.
- Loneliness – you may feel alone, even if you have many loved ones supporting you. It may feel like they don’t understand what you’re going through, or that you’re in this by yourself. You can talk to a counselor or join a support group to connect with others who are going through the same diagnosis as you.
- Anger – you may feel angry at yourself, your family and friends, or in general. Anger can be healthy and can even motivate you to make changes or solve problems. If your anger doesn’t go away, or if you have trouble handling it, talk with your care team.
- Anxiety – you may feel fear or have a hard time relaxing or sleeping. You may worry about how your new diagnosis will affect the people important to you, or about insurance or medical bills. Some people have panic attacks, where they feel dizzy, have a racing heartbeat or thoughts, or feel short of breath. You can learn relaxation strategies to help, such as deep breathing, yoga, or mindfulness, which is when you focus on how you’re feeling in the moment without judgment.
- Depression – it’s very common to feel sad, hopeless, or lose interest in things you normally enjoy. You might also have changes in your appetite, trouble sleeping, or feel very tired. But if you have sadness that lasts more than a couple of weeks, talk with your doctor. There are many ways to treat depression, including medicine, support groups, and counseling. You can also do activities like exercise and spending time in nature or with people who bring you joy.
- Guilt – some people feel guilty that they somehow caused their cancer, or that they can’t help or work, or that they are a burden. Talk with your care team if your feelings of guilt are upsetting you. It can also help to talk with others who are going through a cancer diagnosis, and who can empathize with how you feel.
- Hopelessness – you may feel different levels of hope during your treatment journey. Sometimes you may feel confident a treatment will work, while other times you may feel like there’s no hope for a cure. It’s normal to feel hopeless at times. But if you have feelings of hopelessness that don’t go away, it could be a sign of depression. Talk with your care team if these feelings last more than a couple of weeks.
Let your care team know about your feelings and worries so they can refer you to counselors or support groups. Mental health support can be a great help for anyone with kidney cancer.
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The importance of lowering stress
Stress, both physical and mental, may change certain things in our bodies, like how our immune system works. This can affect how well our bodies respond to treatment. So, keeping your stress low is especially important during and after kidney cancer treatment.
Consider these ways to lower stress or worry you may feel:
- Join a support group
- Talk with a therapist or counselor
- Stay active – go for a walk, swim, or bike ride
- Keep a journal
- Call a friend
- Read a book
- Watch a TV show or movie that you enjoy
- Get a massage
- Listen to music
- Practice yoga
- Do anything you love to do – be good to yourself
Dealing with cognitive (thinking) problems
Kidney cancer and its treatments may affect your thinking skills, such as:
- Learning
- Memory
- Reasoning
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
You may hear this called “chemo brain”. Experts don’t know what causes it, but it can happen after certain types of cancer treatments, not just chemotherapy.
People with cognitive problems may have “brain fog”, such as:
- Trouble concentrating
- A short attention span
- Trouble multi-tasking without losing track of a task
- Forgetting names, dates, and things they usually remember
- Trouble learning new things
- Disorganized or slower thought
Many people with kidney cancer have some kind of cognitive problem, but it’s different for everyone – some people have short-term problems, while others have long-term problems. And some people have severe problems that affect their daily lives and work.
Here are some ways to help you deal with cognitive problems:
- Strengthen your thinking skills – try “cognitive rehabilitation,” which is a type of treatment that uses activities to improve how your brain works. It might include:
- New ways to learn or do new tasks
- Repeating activities that get harder over time
- Tools to stay organized
- Be active and exercise – exercise can improve your ability to think and focus by increasing the flow of blood to your brain and encouraging cell growth.
- Practice meditation – meditation is the practice of training your mind to focus on the present moment. This can include focusing on your breath or an object or activity until your mind wanders, and then bringing your focus back until you feel calm. Meditation can improve your concentration by training your mind to be fully aware of one thing at a time. There are many meditation apps available on your smart phone or tablet to help you start and continue meditation practice.
- Use tools to stay organized – these can help you keep track of appointments, make to-do lists or notes, and keep reminders in one place, such as:
- Prioritize your tasks – do your most important or demanding tasks at the time of day when you have the most energy and mental clarity.
- Set up a routine – sticking to a daily schedule can help your brain conserve energy and lower stress.
- Let family and friends know – they can help you get organized, stay on task, and follow healthcare recommendations. They can also provide important emotional support.
Problems with your thinking and memory are very common – many people experience these issues. Take action early and let your care team know about any of these problems, even if they are small, so you can get help before it becomes a more serious problem.
Healthy food and nutrition
You may find that your eating changes – such as what you eat and how much you eat. This can be due to your kidney cancer diagnosis, your treatments, or stress.
How do you feel after eating…
- A large meal less often?
- Small meals more often?
- A meal that is heavy in fats, such as red meats, fried foods, whole milk, and cheese?
- A “lighter” meal of vegetables and lean proteins, such as chicken?
- Processed foods like bread, cookies, and candy?
Healthy foods and good nutrition can make a huge difference in how we feel.
Good nutrition goes a long way during cancer treatment. It can help you:
- Manage your symptoms or treatment side effects
- Feel stronger and have more energy
- Support the growth of healthy tissue, so that the body can repair itself after surgery or other injuries
- Lower your chance of infection
Make an eating plan with a dietician
Your diet and nutritional needs may change throughout your treatment journey. A dietician trained in cancer care can help you make an eating plan that works best for you.
Make a kidney-friendly eating plan
A kidney-friendly eating plan helps your kidneys if they can’t remove waste products as well as they should. This includes if you’ve had part or all of a kidney removed.
Ask your care team if you should follow this type of plan – not everyone needs to follow a special diet for kidney cancer (called a “renal diet”).
Here are some ways to help your kidneys:
- Eat less salt – Kidneys filter salt from our blood. If you only have 1 kidney, or 1 of your kidneys doesn’t work as well, they have to work harder to remove extra salt. Limit adding salt for seasoning, and food from restaurants, which often serve food high in salt. Eat fresh foods, as frozen or canned foods tend to have more salt.
- Eat less protein – When you eat protein, your body makes waste. Your kidneys have to work to remove this waste, and eating more protein makes your kidneys work harder.
- Eat foods with the right amount of potassium – Potassium is a mineral that helps your nerves and muscles work the right way. If your kidneys aren’t working well, your potassium levels may be too high or too low. This can cause muscle cramps, muscle weakness, and problems with the way your heart beats.
- Eat less phosphorus – When your kidneys aren’t working very well, the amount of phosphorus in your blood may go up. Too much phosphorus in your blood can weaken your bones and cause joint pain. Animal foods high in phosphorus are more concerning than plant foods high in phosphorus, so consider limiting those animal foods. Foods high in phosphorus include:
- Organ meats
- Oysters, fish roe, sardines
- Cheese and milk
- Whole-grain bread
- Bran cereals and oatmeal
- Nuts and sunflower seeds
- Dark-colored sodas
- Watch how much fluid you drink – It is important to stay hydrated, but drinking too much water or other drinks can put a strain on your kidneys. Damaged kidneys (or only 1 kidney) do not get rid of extra fluid as well as they should. Extra fluid in your body can cause high blood pressure, swelling, and heart failure. Each person needs a different amount of fluid – talk to your care team about what is right for you.
Watch presentations from experts to learn more:
Staying active
Kidney cancer, and cancer treatment, may limit how active you can be. However, it’s important to move your body to help you stay strong.
Being active can help you:
- Build back any muscle you may have lost after surgery
- Have better heart health, allowing your heart and lungs to work better
- Have better balance and flexibility
- Lower your stress and improve your emotional well-being by releasing feel-good chemicals (called endorphins) in your brain
- Feel less tired and fatigued
How can I be active?
You can be active in many ways – find the way that you like best. For example, you can do:
- Your daily chores, such as household chores, walking up stairs, or gardening
- Fun activities, such as swimming or playing tennis
- Exercise, such as brisk walking or lifting weights
- Stretching and building strength, such as yoga or Pilates
Create a plan
You can create a plan and set your own goals. General goals may be:
- Be active every day
- Avoid being inactive for too long during the day
Talk to your care team
Talk to your care team before starting a new physical activity and if you have any challenges that stop you from being active. They can give you advice and help you get support from people trained in exercise, such as a physical therapist. You can also ask your care team for programs which support people with cancer to be physically active.
Watch presentations from experts to learn more:
Integrative medicine
Integrative medicine is a treatment approach that combines standard cancer treatments, such as medicines, with complementary treatments, such as acupuncture or massage. It can help with symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and pain related to a cancer diagnosis or treatment.
The focus is on the person’s whole health – their mind, body, and soul – not just diagnosis and treatment of illness.
Integrative medicine involves patients and their care team adding complementary practices to their treatment plan, such as:
- A healthy lifestyle – This can include a plan for eating healthy foods or a specific diet, how to be more active each day, how to improve sleep, and even keeping healthy relationships.
- Acupuncture – A technique in which a trained professional puts fine needles into your skin to treat health problems. It is most commonly used to help with pain.
- Massage therapy – A therapy where the soft tissues of your body are rubbed and kneaded. Massages may help lower pain, anxiety, and stress.
- Aquatic therapy (water therapy) – Doing exercises in a swimming pool. Floating in a pool can help lower the weight on your joints, making it less painful to move and exercise.
- Bright white light therapy – Therapy in which a person sits in front of bright lights for a certain amount of time.
- Meditation – A practice of focused breathing or repeating words or phrases to focus your mind and to lower stressful thoughts and feelings. Meditation may help lower pain, anxiety, and stress.
- Yoga – Practices that help your mental focus and your body using exercise, meditation, and controlled breathing. Yoga may help lower stress and anxiety, improve sleep and balance, and relieve pain.
If you are interested in adding complementary practices to your plan, talk with your care team before starting them. Some can interact with medical treatments and cause harmful side effects. This is especially true when considering any nutritional supplements, which are usually not tested to see how they interact with medications. They may affect how well your treatment may work.
Watch presentations from experts to learn more:
Supportive care
If you’re struggling with side effects and could use some extra support, consider supportive care (sometimes called palliative care). Supportive care treats symptoms and side effects along with your medical treatment. It can help relieve pain, stress, nausea, and other side effects. Talk to your care about how supportive care may help you.
Making future decisions
It may be helpful to think about the future, in case there’s a time when you can’t make decisions about medical care, finances, or other important topics. Consider filling out forms like advance directives that explain how you’d like decisions to be made or who should make those decisions if you can’t do so in the future.
See the End-of-Life section to learn more about advance directives.
Watch presentations from experts to learn more:
References:
Information on this page last reviewed: January, 2025
Keep Learning:
The Kidney Cancer Association provides educational literature for anyone impacted by kidney cancer.