Cancer can change the way you relate to your family, partner, and friends, and the way they relate to you. When active treatment is over, some friends may become closer, while others may distance themselves. Relationship problems that may have been ignored before a cancer diagnosis can be brought to the surface. Everyone is changed by the cancer experience in ways they may not even be aware of.
PARENTING AND FAMILY LIFE
Living with and beyond cancer often makes people rethink the way they live their lives, including the way they parent. When active treatment ends, many survivors find that parenting after cancer presents unique challenges. The guilt of constantly being away from home or unavailable can trigger a strong desire to just be a “normal parent,” or sometimes even a super parent, to make up for that lost time. As you adjust to life after treatment, you can only do your best and shouldn’t be hard on yourself because of what you might see as limitations.
Sometimes, making every minute after treatment with your family “count” becomes a top priority. However, trying to pack every minute with activities puts a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on you and your family. Think about choosing more relaxed and manageable ways of connecting that will give you quality time and the change to enjoy shared experiences, like watching a favorite movie together or going for a walk.
SEXUALITY AND INTIMACY
In general, although people are less interested in sex while having cancer treatment and at times of crisis, interest in sex usually improves during recovery and survivorship. However, some survivors may experience changes in their sexual function or sex drive caused either directly or indirectly by cancer and cancer treatment.  Physical changes may affect the way a person feels about his or her body and their physical attractiveness, such as losing a breast or testicle, having a colostomy, losing weight or hair, or having scars or skin changes.
Intimacy is very closely connected to your feelings about your relationship as well as your feelings about yourself. By establishing open and ongoing communication with your spouse or partner, you both can better adapt to the changes cancer has caused in your lives as well as your relationship. A counselor who has experience working with people with cancer and talking through some of these issues can help both you and your partner.
STARTING OR EXPANDING YOUR FAMILY
In general, becoming pregnant after cancer treatment is considered safe for both the mother and the baby, and pregnancy does not appear to increase a woman’s risk of recurrence. However, the exact amount of time female survivors should wait before trying to become pregnant depends on the type and stage of cancer, the type of treatment the woman received, any need for ongoing treatment, and her age and preferences. If you are a female survivor, you should talk with your doctor about whether your body can safely handle pregnancy.
For male survivors, there are no specific guidelines for trying to have a child after finishing cancer treatment. However, doctors may recommend waiting before trying to have a child, depending on a number of factors.