Why isn't there a Cancer topic in Health section?

[Babamamananarama]

One in two of us will have cancer during our lifetime, and many more of us will end up in caring roles for someone with cancer.

There are loads of us who are recovering from cancer or living with the long-term effects of cancer, as well of those struggling with a recent diagnosis and/or going through treatment.

There are COVID/dementia/swine flu topics but not cancer.

I don't think 'Life Limiting Illness' covers it.... would anybody else be interested in this?

There's a very long running cancer thread in general health

Here you go @Babamamananarama

It would also be a good idea because it could be hidden - someone who had recently lost a loved one to cancer might prefer to hide threads about cancer, for example.

Hi there @Babamamananarama and others. Thanks for the suggestion. We'll definitely give this some thought and have a discussion. As always, we'd want to see that there was lots of call for a new topic before we looked into it as a definite possibility. So we'll keep an eye on this thread and see what people think generally about the idea.

I wondered the same. I'm aware of the long running thread but I really think it needs a topic of its own.

Many cancer discussions don't start as cancer, it is about weird symptoms or a recall for a mammogram , so many threads on cancers would remain on General health anyway. So how would that work out? And childhood cancers?

Keeping cancer in general health might also raise awareness on symptoms, but I can understand the need to have a separate topic, and you are right OP, there are in health some topics that are redundant or less important, such as the weights room, since half the posters confuse it with weightloss chat and there is already an exercise topic.

Thanks.

I'm aware of the long running thread, which was some use to me during my treatment but i ended up feeling swamped by it as there were so many people on it with so many different cancers, treatment protocols and at so many different stages. I couldn't keep up with it all.

I do think it would be useful to have different threads for different types of cancer, for those of us recovering from or living beyond cancer, for those caring for someone with cancer or parenting a child with cancer.

Hi @Babamamananarama , yes I would be interested in this too & was looking for a cancer section when I was having treatment myself. The difficulty I have with the cancer support thread is that as you say it encompasses so many different types/ stages of cancer. Also as someone with stage 4 & I actually found it quite jarring when people popped up on the thread for a handhold while they were awaiting investigations & then got the all clear. It felt as though it was trying to be too many things to too many people. I know some find it very useful but I had to disengage from it. So yes I agree that a cancer section would be useful & then you could have threads for different types of cancer/ stages etc.

@Madeintowerhamlets yes exactly that - I didn't find the support I needed there at the hardest times during my treatment as everybody on the thread was in the middle of their own very different brand of awfulness and I found it overwhelming.

It's also a very big and wide-ranging thing. Those of us who are past treatment/in remission but still living with the cancer after-effects need something very different from the people awaiting/dreading/reeling from an initial diagnosis and that's very different again from those who are getting their head around/living with Stage 4.

Great idea

Yes!!! I’ve been under investigation for cancer multiple times since childhood. Twice in the past year alone (different types - yay - go me!). I have wanted to post several times when I’ve felt particularly overwhelmed but didn’t really find anywhere I thought was appropriate.

@Madeintowerhamlets you are precisely why I didn’t post. I didn’t want to post my minor worries when people are going through some serious shit, it didn’t sit right with me. But still, my worries would be better out than in.

@TheExistentialistCafé my conditions have been potentially cancerous from the get go. So no, I don’t think posting in general heath, having to put up with a plethora of suggestions of things it’s not would help very much either.

@Babamamananarama is absolutely right. I in 2 of us is going to be diagnosed with cancer. Of course you should have a place to tell your own story. I guess though, there would be too many threads and some people would sadly get no replies.

@HebeMumsnet I’d go so far as to say two new topics are needed: (1) cancer and (2) childhood cancer

Yes, I was surprised that there wasn’t a topic when I needed support as a relative. Again it’s different if you’re a mum or partner or it’s a parent, whether it’s diagnosis or living with or loss/grieving - much easier to split into the different threads then and start a new one as needed

Good idea and clearly a need for different threads etc

A separate topic makes sense - there are so many types of cancer and so many treatments that a separate topic would make it easier to find the info/support/tribe 😀 that they're looking for

Think this is a great idea. The long running thread is too overwhelming.

@Whynocancerthread , bless you for thinking about that. You’re absolutely right though- better out than in. That’s why a cancer topic makes sense as you could have different threads for those with a diagnosis & those that are undergoing investigations. I actually notice a lot of threads in AIBU & chat about potential cancer symptoms which would be better placed under a cancer topic.