Cancer: from diagnosis to reclaiming control with lifestyle

The diagnosis is in: you have cancer. Your life is turned upside down. Your body - which once felt reliable - suddenly feels like it is failing you. Tests, treatments, and medical appointments follow. In between, there are all the questions no one seems to answer clearly.

The questions you do not dare to ask out loud

When you receive a cancer diagnosis - whether breast or ovarian cancer - a flood of emotions and questions can overwhelm you. Questions you may not even dare to ask in the consultation room, yet they run through your mind day and night.

Am I going to die? The most fundamental and frightening question. Survival rates for many cancers have improved dramatically over recent decades. But statistics feel abstract when it is your life. What you want to know is: can I get through this? In many cases, yes - especially when the disease is detected early.

Do I still feel like a woman? Treatments can deeply affect your sense of femininity. A mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery changes how your body looks and feels. Ovarian surgery may trigger immediate menopause. Hormone treatments like tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, or LHRH injections lower estrogen - a hormone closely connected to how many women experience themselves. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, lower libido, weight changes: this can be hard to explain to someone who has not lived it.

What happens to my body if I enter menopause early? Both hormone therapy and ovarian surgery can cause abrupt menopause. Symptoms can appear overnight: hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, bone loss, and joint pain. Unlike natural menopause, this shift can be sudden and intense.

Can I still get pregnant? This depends on your treatment. In breast cancer, hormone therapy is often prescribed for two to five years, sometimes longer. During that time, pregnancy is not possible. Hormone therapy itself is not necessarily harmful to fertility, but age after treatment may lower chances of conception. In ovarian cancer, fertility depends on surgery: if both ovaries are removed, natural pregnancy is no longer possible. This topic should be discussed with your physician before treatment starts.

Can I fully recover? Recovery is more than absence of disease. It is also about energy, resilience, and feeling in control of your body again. This is exactly where lifestyle can make a meaningful difference.

Will I be able to work again? For many women, this question is about identity and normal life. Returning to work looks different for everyone and depends on treatment, side effects, and overall recovery. One thing is clear: the better your physical and mental condition, the greater your chance of returning successfully.

How do I cope with my changed body? Your body may look, feel, and respond differently. This asks for adaptation and grief, but also rediscovery: learning to listen to what your body needs now, instead of fighting what it can no longer do.

Hormone therapy: what does it do to your body?

In breast cancer, tumor cells can have receptors for estrogen and/or progesterone. Estrogen in the body can then stimulate cancer growth. Hormone therapy aims to block that stimulation.

Tamoxifen is often prescribed before menopause and blocks the estrogen receptor. Aromatase inhibitors (such as letrozole or anastrozole) are used after menopause and reduce estrogen production in body tissues. LHRH agonists are injections that temporarily shut down ovarian function, stopping estrogen production.

The downside is that your body suddenly has to function with much less estrogen. Estrogen does much more than regulate reproduction: it protects bone health, supports mucosal tissues, affects cardiovascular health, and influences mood and sleep. A sudden drop can therefore have broad effects on how you feel.

In ovarian cancer, treatment may include surgery removing one or both ovaries, with or without chemotherapy. Here too, loss of ovarian function can lead to immediate menopause and related symptoms.

Lifestyle as an official part of cancer care

For a long time, cancer advice was mostly: rest. But science has shifted clearly. In October 2025, lifestyle was officially included in the Dutch national breast cancer treatment guideline. Surgical oncologist Prof. Dr. Marjolein Smidt (Maastricht UMC+) emphasizes that research shows healthy lifestyle choices may improve recovery and potentially reduce recurrence risk.

This is an important recognition. It means what integrative and orthomolecular medicine has highlighted for years now has a formal place in conventional oncology as well. As a patient, you can actively contribute to recovery - not instead of medical treatment, but alongside it as a powerful complement.

Four pillars of support

1. Movement - gentle but consistent

Regular movement during and after treatment can reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. It helps maintain or rebuild fitness and strength. This is not about intense workouts; it is about movement at your pace: walking, gentle cycling, swimming, and respecting your current limits.

Research suggests an active lifestyle can improve survival outcomes, especially in breast and colorectal cancer. It is not a promise, but it is a strong reason to keep moving - even on hard days.

2. Nutrition - feeding your immune system

Good nutrition helps maintain your condition, which supports treatment tolerance and recovery speed. No extreme diets - your body is already under pressure. Instead, choose food that supports immunity and helps reduce inflammation.

Think of plenty of vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale), healthy fats (olive oil, fatty fish, nuts), adequate protein for muscle maintenance, and limiting refined sugars and ultra-processed foods. Attention to nutrition that can influence hormone balance is important, always in discussion with your treating physician.

3. Stress regulation - from surviving to living

A cancer diagnosis brings high stress. Chronic stress keeps your nervous system in constant alarm mode, which can weaken immune function and slow recovery. Learning stress regulation is not a luxury - it is essential.

Breathing exercises, meditation, time in nature, and creative activities can help. It is also about asking for help, letting go of what no longer serves you, and accepting that recovery takes time.

4. Targeted supplementation - replenishing deficits

Cancer treatments can drain the body. Certain nutrients are depleted faster while needs rise. Targeted supplementation can help restore deficiencies and support recovery.

Vitamin D plays an important role in immune function and is linked in studies to better outcomes in several cancers. In the Netherlands, many people have suboptimal levels, especially during winter. Check your levels and supplement based on blood testing.

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of bodily processes, including sleep quality and stress regulation - both often challenged during cancer treatment. Magnesium bisglycinate or taurate forms are generally well tolerated and can have a calming effect.

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) have anti-inflammatory properties and may help preserve muscle mass during treatment.

Active B vitamins support energy metabolism and the nervous system. For fatigue and mood complaints, a quality B-complex can make a difference.

Probiotics may support gut health, which can be disturbed by chemotherapy and medication. A healthy gut microbiome contributes to better immune function.

Important: always discuss supplementation with your treating physician or a qualified therapist. Some supplements can interact with cancer treatments.

From rest to regaining control

The diagnosis is there and your life feels upside down. It can feel as if your body has let you down, and as if choices are made for you. Early menopause and hormonal changes can feel like your body is no longer yours.

But there is still something you can do yourself, and that is exactly where I can support you.

Together we build a lifestyle approach that fits you. No harsh diets, but nutrition that supports immunity. No heavy workouts, but steady movement at your pace. Practical stress regulation. Insight into where symptoms come from so we can address and reduce them, helping you feel stronger and more energetic.

You can start at any point in your process - during treatment or after it. Based on your situation, we create a personalized plan around lifestyle and nutrition, and keep fine-tuning as your needs change.

Why me

This topic is close to me - professionally and personally.

As a medical biological analyst, I worked for years in cancer research and graduated in breast cancer research. I know the science behind this disease. I also know the personal side: my mother had breast cancer, and my mother-in-law had ovarian cancer. I have seen what it does to women, families, and daily life.

That combination of scientific knowledge and personal experience drives me to support women with cancer - not with empty promises, but with evidence-informed lifestyle guidance that aligns with both science and what you can handle right now.

My approach is complementary and supportive and does not replace medical treatment. I always work in alignment with your treating physician or specialist.

Do you recognize yourself in this and want to take a first step? Feel free to get in touch. Together we will explore what is possible for you.