Newsletter June 2026: This Part Of Cancer Recovery Isn't Talked About Enough
- PCNM
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
Dr. Tapp's Thought's
June is Cancer Survivor Month, and the first Sunday of June is recognized as National Cancer Survivors Day.
But honestly, this note is not really for the people who have had cancer. It is for the people standing beside them. For the husbands watching their wives try to smile through hot flashes, insomnia, and exhaustion after treatment.
For the daughters, wondering why their once-energetic mother now seems withdrawn and overwhelmed. For the friend who keeps saying, “But your treatment is done now, right?”
Cancer has changed your person. Not just physically, but emotionally, hormonally, and neurologically... often in ways that are invisible.
One of the strange things about cancer is how invisible survivorship can become. The casseroles stop arriving, the appointments become less frequent, hair grows back. You exhale with relief and assume that your person’s life has returned to "normal".
Meanwhile, many survivors are still trying to negotiate with their own bodies, especially women.
A large number of women continue on endocrine therapies for 5-10 years after breast cancer treatment. These medications can induce abrupt and severe menopause symptoms that would humble even the toughest among us: insomnia, joint pain, hot flashes, anxiety, low mood, brain fog, loss of libido, and fatigue that sleep does not fix. Because your wife/mom/friend often looks “healthy,” you miss how hard this stage can be.
There is also this subtle expectation in our culture that survivors should feel grateful all the time... but survivorship is often messy and unglamorous.
So if you love someone who has gone through cancer, this is simply a gentle reminder: they may still be carrying far more than they let you see. So please, go check in on them. Invite them over, even if they often say no, don't stop trying. Keep bringing those meals over. Understand that their capacity may genuinely be different now.
If this sounds like someone you know, tell them about PCNM. If you are reading this, there is a good chance you have trusted us with your own health at some point and had a positive experience.
Supporting women through survivorship, particularly menopause after cancer treatment, has become an important part of my work because too many women are left feeling dismissed, unsupported, or given confusing and sometimes incorrect information. Your person deserves better than that.
For a long time, women needing this kind of support often had to look to larger cities to find it. I believe they deserve access to thoughtful survivorship care closer to home too...and it is, here at PCNM! I’ve also built a concise program called RecoverWell to support women through menopause after cancer.
To the people loving someone through survivorship: thank you for continuing to show up, even when you do not fully understand what they are carrying. This month, and all months, let's collectively show up a little more for those we love who have gone through cancer treatments.
Ps. If you are looking for ways to better support someone through cancer survivorship, a few thoughtful books include Between Two Kingdoms, A Breast Cancer Guide for Spouses, Partners, Family, and Friends, and And in Health: A Guide for Couples Facing Cancer Together.
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