The short answer
Cancer and its treatment can change how your body looks and feels, and how you feel about yourself. NCI says you are not alone, and that these feelings are real. Changes can include hair loss, scars, and weight changes. With time and help from others, many people adjust. Counseling, peer support, and staying active can help.
Cancer and its treatment can change how you look and how you feel about yourself.
NCI says many people have similar feelings, and that it is okay to feel upset.
Some body changes are short-term. Others last.
With time and help from others, many people adjust.
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This page is for teens and young adults whose body or sense of self has changed because of cancer. It covers common changes, ways to adjust, and where to find support.
Why this can hit hard
NCI says cancer and its treatment can change how you look and how you feel about yourself. It says many others have similar feelings. For young people, NCI notes that relationships may feel different, awkward, or strained. Life can feel like it is moving backwards, especially if you paused school or work. Feeling shaken by that is common and understandable.
Changes you might face
NCI lists hair loss, skin changes, scars from surgery, weight changes, and loss of fertility. Some changes are short-term. Others last. Even changes other people cannot see may trouble you. NCI says these losses are real and it is okay to feel upset. Feeling bad about your body can also lower your sex drive. Treatment can also change sexual function.
Ways to adjust
NCI says that with the passage of time and help from others, many people adjust. It suggests these steps:
- Let yourself feel sad, angry, or frustrated.
- Talk with a counselor. Ask your doctor or nurse for a name.
- Join a support group or talk with other patients.
- Try new ways to enhance your appearance, such as a new haircut, makeup, or clothing.
- Stay active if you have the energy. NCI says many people find it helps their self-image.
- If your skin changed from radiation or other treatment, ask your doctor about care or a referral.
Getting support
You do not have to work through this alone. NCI says mental health experts such as counselors, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists can help young people with cancer. Many hospitals also have young adult groups and programs. Connecting with other young people who have faced cancer can help. If you are having problems with intimacy or sex, tell your doctor or nurse. They can suggest a specialist.
When to get help sooner
- Call 911, or call, text, or chat 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), if you are thinking about hurting yourself or ending your life. Counselors answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Call your care team right away if a scar or surgical site turns red, swollen, or painful, drains fluid, or comes with a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. If you are on chemotherapy, call right away, day or night, for that temperature, or for chills, a sore throat, mouth sores, burning when you urinate, or redness where a catheter enters your body. A normal temperature is not a reason to wait. CDC says to call your doctor immediately for a fever during chemotherapy.
- Call your care team the same day if distress about your body is stopping you from eating, sleeping, or leaving the house.
- Call your care team within a day or two if low mood, anxiety, or body-image distress has lasted more than 2 weeks; or if a physical change such as pain during sex, hair loss, or swelling in an arm or leg is not getting better.
Sources
Common questions
Is it normal for cancer to affect my sense of identity?
Yes. NCI says cancer and its treatment can change how you look and feel about yourself. Many others have similar feelings. It is okay to feel upset about body changes.
What kinds of changes are common?
NCI lists hair loss, skin changes, scars from surgery, weight changes, and loss of fertility, among others. For young people, NCI also notes that relationships may feel different or strained, and that life can feel like it is moving backwards.
How can I adjust?
NCI says that with time and help from others, many people adjust. It suggests talking with a counselor, joining a support group, trying new ways to enhance your appearance, and staying active.
When should I seek support?
If low mood or anxiety lasts more than 2 weeks, reach out to your care team. NCI says signs of depression can include no longer enjoying favorite activities, sleep changes, feeling worthless, or thoughts of suicide. Counseling and peer support can help.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-12 what this meansLast updated: 2026-09-29Next planned review: 2028-07-12
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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