How to Talk About Melanoma and Treatment

People need information and honesty

You will make very personal decisions about who you talk with and what you say about melanoma. However, experts can offer some general tips, based on years of experience helping people deal with cancer.

With family and people close to you, honesty and openness help. This applies to the disease, the treatment, and all the feelings that may come up about it such as fear, anger, or sadness. It's especially important to share information and decision-making with a life partner if you have one. If people pull away, it often means that they are afraid to do or say the wrong thing; don't assume that they don't care. If you want support, offer people a list of specific things they can do and let them choose how they want to help.

Children will sense when something is wrong, even toddlers. Talk to children with words and ideas that they can understand. Tell them the truth with love and hope. Make sure that they know how they will be taken care of and that your condition is not their fault. Let them talk about their fears and feelings.

You have certain legal rights to privacy at work.

First, learn about your rights. Then, it's usually best to speak with your boss and anyone else at work who might be directly affected by changes in your schedule. If you continue to work during treatment, it can be very hard to keep melanoma a secret. Your biggest work challenge may be fatigue (tiredness), but there are things you can do to manage this. Be sure people understand that cancer is not "catching" like a cold and that you will not expect others to do your work for you.

Find more information about talking about melanoma and its treatment.