New survey findings highlight that the anxiety caused by a cancer diagnosis extends far beyond just the patient diagnosed. The emotional impact is shared by caregivers and loved ones, with stress, grief, and worry over treatments, pain, and life expectancy weighing heavily on these individuals, too, according to the results of the study conducted for the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Study data have shown that patients with cancer are five times more likely than those without cancer to experience depression. “Depression and anxiety can significantly impact a patient’s ability to finish care and fully recover after treatment—all of which impacts long-term survival,” stated Kevin Johns, MD, Director of the Psychosocial Oncology Program at the OSUCCC – James.
However, the results of the survey show that a circle of individuals around the patient also experience such depression and anxiety.
The survey was commissioned to explore the top concerns that adults in the United States experience when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Responses revealed that over three-quarters of surveyed adults worry most about their loved one’s life expectancy (76%), treatments (69%), and pain (65%); additional concerns included adverse effects (55%), family stress (54%), grief (49%), medications (42%), caregiver stress (34%), and body image (11%).
“The complex nature of caregivers’ concerns is very representative of the unique challenges we face as a mental health community in supporting our patients through treatment and into their ‘new normal’ as a cancer survivor,” Dr. Johns said.
Notably, the survey results indicated that younger adults—those aged 18 to 29—were more likely than all of the other age groups to list grief as a top concern (66%) when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. They were also more likely than the oldest age group (those aged 65 or older) to say that body image is a top concern (18%). On the other hand, the oldest age group surveyed was more likely to elevate the course of treatment (74%) and caregiver stress (37%) as top concerns.
The survey was conducted between May 2 and May 5, 2025, and answered by 1,008 adult participants via web and telephone on the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. All data were weighted to represent the target adult population in the United States.
Disclosure: For full survey disclosures, visit cancer.osu.edu.