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    • Support us and donate

          • MAKE A DONATION TO CANCER RESEARCH AND CANCER SUFFERERS

            Make a donation to cancer research and cancer patients. Every euro donated brings us closer to a future where no one has to lose their loved one to cancer.

          • Support us and donate
    • Cancer Society of Finland

          • Cancer Society of Finland

            Cancer organizations is a strong and competent organization whose goal is to secure a good life for everyone without cancer and in spite of cancer. The organization offers information, support and hope. Cancer organizations mean those formed by the Finnish Cancer Society and the Cancer Foundation

          • Cancer Society
          • Cancer registery
          • Cancer foundation
          • Cancer prevention
    • Health Promotion

          • Cancer organizations maintain several sites intended for different target groups

          • Without cancer
          • Fressis.fi
          • FressisEdu
          • Tobaccobody
    • Member Organizations
          • Cancer Society of Central Finland
          • Cancer Society of Kymenlaakso
          • Cancer Society of North Karelia
          • Cancer Society of North Savo
          • Cancer Society of Northern Finland
          • Cancer Society of Åland
          • Cancer Society of Pirkanmaa
          • Cancer Society of Pohjanmaa
          • Cancer Society of Saimaa
          • Cancer Society of Satakunta
          • Cancer Society of Southern Finland
          • Cancer Society of South-West Finland
    • National Patient Organisations

          • National patient organizations

            The Finnish Cancer Society includes six national patient organizations. National patient organizations provide information and support to cancer patients, their relatives and those concerned about cancer.

          • Association of Cancer Patients in Finland
          • Finnish association for children and young people with cancer SYLVA (in Finnish)
          • Finnish Colorectal Cancer Association, Colores
          • Breast Cancer Association, Europa Donna Finland
          • Finnish Prostate Cancer Association PROPO (in Finnish)
All about cancer
Apua ja tukea Avautuu uudessa ikkunassa
Kaikki syövästä
  • For patients
    • Diagnosis – It can’t be true!

          • Reactions are part of adaptation

            Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel like a lightning strike that changes your life and shatters your basic sense of security. When you hear of a confirmed diagnosis, it can be difficult to process the information in the moment.

          • Diagnosis – It can’t be true!
          • Anger
          • Mourning
          • Fear, anxiety and stress
          • How do I cope with it all?
          • Taking care of yourself
    • Cancer and sexuality

          • Having cancer can affect your sexuality in many ways

            These always vary from person to person. Sexuality is often seen as relating only to eroticism and sex. In reality it is much broader in scope.

          • Cancer and sexuality
          • Pariskunta istuu sohvalla ja pitää toisiaan kädestä kiinni.
    • Cancer and work

          • How should you tell them at work that you have cancer?

            When you are diagnosed with cancer, the first thing that may come to mind is that there will be a long period off work. But as with many other illnesses, cancer does not necessarily result in work incapacity or being off work for a long period.

          • Cancer and work
          • Kaksi autonasentajaa on avannut auton konepellin ja tutkii moottoria.
    • Cancer and your finances

          • It is best not to delay applying for benefits, as many may have deadlines

            Having cancer can radically undermine your and your family’s financial situation. Even in the early stages of the disease it is good to bear in mind that dealing with various expenses, benefits and reimbursements will require some effort on your part

          • Cancer and your finances
          • Cancer treatment drugs and reimbursements
          • Cancer patients’ income and tax
          • Rehabilitation and reimbursements
          • Travel expense reimbursements for cancer patients
    • Exercise and cancer

          • When you have cancer, exercise is important in terms of your wellbeing and recovery

            Following treatment, rehabilitation begins the better and quicker you start exercising. Physical activity and light exercise increase muscle strength and give you energy.

          • Exercise and cancer
          • When to avoid certain types of exercise
    • Good nutrition

          • Cancer affects a person’s diet and eating habits in many ways

            The illness can in itself cause weight loss, lack of appetite or other problems associated with eating. Surgical treatment may affect swallowing or the functioning of the digestive tract. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can cause nausea, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and changes to one’s sense of taste and smell.

          • Good nutrition
          • Problems related to eating
    • Cancer and fertility
  • Facts about cancer
    • What is cancer?

          • There is no completely clear-cut definition of cancer

            Cancer is a general term for a large group of diseases, whose causes, characteristics and occurrence can vary greatly. There are over 260 000 people in Finland who have had cancer at some stage in their lifetime.

          • What is cancer?
          • Cancer symptoms
          • Detecting cancer
          • Differentiation and staging of cancer
          • Cancer pain
    • Cancer treatments

          • Cancer treatments are being continually developed

            Increasingly more effective and better-targeted treatments are available. As treatment has developed, the outcomes have improved. Treatment outcomes in Finland are outstanding by international comparisons.

          • Cancer treatments
          • Cancer surgery
          • Cytotoxic drugs or cytostatics
          • Radiotherapy
          • Hormone therapy
          • Immunotherapy
          • Targeted drugs
    • Cancer types

          • The situation of each cancer patient is unique

            Cancer is not a unitary disease but a large group of diseases that include many different cancers. Their causes, symptoms and forms of treatment differ from one another.

          • Cancer types
          • Syöpäsolu ja kysymysmerkki
    • Cancer genetics

          • Cancer is not inherited

            Cancer is only the genetic defect that can lead to cancer that is inherited, which means that the predisposition to getting cancer, or increased risk, can be inherited.

          • Cancer genetics
          • Äiti, isoäiti ja pieni lapsi.
    • Cancer patients’ rights

          • Health services must be available equitably

            Patients are entitled to receive good health and medical care and treatment that do not violate their human dignity, beliefs or privacy. Finland has a law on the status and rights of patients.

          • Cancer patients’ rights
          • Lääkäri kuuntelee miespotilasta.
    • Chronic cancer

          • Living with chronic cancer

            Cancer cannot always be cured permanently, but the spread of the disease can be stopped or slowed down. This is called chronic cancer. Chronic cancer can progress very slowly or remain unchanged.

          • Chronic cancer
          • Palliative and hospice care
          • When death is near
          • Lääkäri ja pyörätuolissa oleva vanhempi miespotilas.
  • For family and friends
    • Supporting a person who is ill

          • The illness affects the quality of both your lives

            Seeing a loved one suffering and in pain can make you feel helpless and insecure. You both have your own suffering to deal with. You would like to be there to support and help them, but you don’t know how or in what way.

          • Supporting a person who is ill
          • Lesbian Couple, selective focus on hands
    • Your well-being while caring for a sick loved one
    • Loved ones’ grief

          • The death of a loved one and the ensuing grief is a long process with many stages

            The thoughts and feelings of loved ones about the impending death of their family member or friend may be conflicted. The closer the patient is to you, the harder it is to let go.

          • Loved ones’ grief
          • Kirja, jonka sivujen välissä on syksyinen lehti.
  • After cancer
    • How to go on?

          • Once your treatments are over, your recovery from cancer is often just beginning

            For more and more people, cancer can be cured or at least controlled so that you can live a near-normal life. The end of treatment can feel both relieving and frightening at the same time.

          • How to go on?
    • Back to work after cancer

          • How to make going back to work succeed?

            A long absence from work may require support, flexibility and rehabilitation. The best results come from cooperation between the employer, employee and occupational health service.

          • Back to work after cancer
    • Follow-up care

          • Follow-up is needed to detect adverse effects of treatment and recurrence of the cancer

            After treatment, you will be followed up. Cancer patients are followed up at regular intervals. Follow-up varies depending on the type of cancer and how far the cancer has spread. You may receive follow-up care for some time after treatment in a specialist hospital and then transfer to primary care.

          • Follow-up care
          • mies ihailee rannalla auringonlaskua
            auringonlasku meri ranta vesi mies alaston uimari
  • Services
    • Advice Services

          • Do you want to discuss cancer or its treatment?

            The Cancer Society of Finland’s advice services are designed for everyone concerned about cancer and matters related to it. The advice services’ oncology nurses offer information and support.

          • Advice Services
          • Iäkäs mies puhuu puhelimessa.
    • Peer support

          • Peer support often makes things easier for patients and their loved ones

            You can get peer support either in a small group or on one to one basis. You can get peer support either face to face or online.

          • Peer support
          • Nainen istuu sohvalla ja käyttää kannettavaa tietokonetta.
    • Courses

          • Courses are organised mainly in Finnish

            The Cancer Society of Finland provides diffrent types of courses for cancer patients and their loved ones.

          • Courses
          • Ryhmä ihmisiä sauvakävelee metsässä.
    • Rehabilitation in public sector

          • Are you wondering about rehabilitation?

            You can get rehabilitation from the public healthcare side if your illness and its treatments have affected your ability to work and function and survive in everyday life.

          • Rehabilitation in public sector
          • Fysioterapeutti auttaa iäkästä miestä venyttelemään.
    • Discussions

          • Read and participate in the discussion

            Peer support is often important for cancer patients and their loved ones. Cancer organizations offer the opportunity to discuss online in the discussion forum.

          • Discussions
          • Kädet tietokoneen näppäimistöllä.
  • English
    • Suomi
    • English
    • Svenska
All about cancer » Thank you for asking

Thank you for asking

Counseling nurses will answer your message as quickly as possible during the opening hours of the counseling service. You can also use the form to leave a call request. The service is free of charge.

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  • For patients
  • Facts about cancer
  • For family and friends
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  • Give feedback
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Contact information

Syöpäjärjestöt
Unioninkatu 22, 00130 Helsinki
puh. 09 135 331

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Advice Services

You can chat with a specialist cancer nurse - or call or send a message. The counseling service of cancer organizations is intended for you who are affected by cancer.

Chat

You can chat with the nurse between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. You will see a chat icon on the site in the lower right corner.

Free phone consultation

The helpline is available at 0800 19414. The nurse answers the phone on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The service is free of charge.

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Peer support

You can get peer support both one-on-one with a support person and in a peer group. Peer support is available both face-to-face and remotely.

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