Cancer is a lifelong identity. And mental health is part of it.

For the millions of people navigating a cancer diagnosis, life doesn’t snap back to normal when treatment ends. Cancer reshapes everything–your body, your mind, your relationships, your job, your identity. It doesn’t live neatly in a medical chart. And yet, the healthcare system still treats it like a siloed specialty. 

The problem isn’t new–but it is urgent

Mental health has been overlooked in oncology for decades. Experts at this year’s NCCN conference echoed what patients have said all along: the system is still falling short. And not because of staffing or funding alone–but because of how care is designed. 

We’ve built a system that fragments the human experience into separate checkboxes. Cancer in one corner. Mental health in another. Primary care, nutrition, survivorship support? Maybe, if there’s time.

That might work on a spreadsheet. It doesn’t work for people. 

When the body is treated but the mind is left behind

Cancer doesn’t just challenge the body–it changes everything. Recent research confirms what patients already know: mental health struggles are common and persistent throughout the cancer journey. According to a 2024 study in The Lancet, psychological distress affects a large share of cancer patients globally, regardless of setting, trajectory, or geography–yet support remains scarce.

It’s not just an emotional toll. Untreated distress can affect adherence to treatment, increase hospitalizations, and diminish quality of life. But yet, most Cancer Care still separates the physical from the emotional, which leaves patients to navigate the fallout alone.

Why mental health still gets left out of Cancer Care

For all the medical advances in oncology and despite growing awareness, cancer-specific mental health support often remains stuck on the sidelines. Not because it’s unimportant, but because care models haven’t fully adapted to address the psychological complexities of cancer throughout the care journey. 

Here’s where the disconnect continues: 

• Mental health and oncology services are still often delivered separately, with little coordination
• Distress screening isn’t a standard practice in many care settings, even though it’s evidence-based
• Few providers are trained to recognize or address the emotional weight of a diagnosis
• And many patients still hesitate to ask for help–out of fear, stigma, or just not knowing where to start

The result? People are left to carry the emotional burden of cancer on their own. We can’t keep treating mental health as optional. It’s part of the cancer experience–and it deserves the same level of attention, respect, and follow-through as any other part of Cancer Care. 

End-to-end Cancer Care means caring for the whole person

Improving mental health in oncology doesn’t require reinventing care from scratch, but it does require more intention. When mental health support is integrated into Cancer Care, it can lead to:

• Better treatment adherence and outcomes: Depression and anxiety are strongly linked to lower adherence to cancer treatments (chemo, radiation, follow-ups). Addressing psychological distress has been shown to improve patient engagement and outcomes.
• A higher quality of life: Mental health care helps people manage more than just physical symptoms–it can help reduce distress, improve coping skills, and support emotional well-being. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to improve mental health and quality of life for people with cancer, benefiting both those actively receiving treatment and those who have completed it.
• Fewer emergencies and lower costs: When mental health needs are unmet, patients are more likely to use emergency services, delay care, or experience complications. Proactive mental health care can often reduce high-cost episodes. 

This is what end-to-end Cancer Care looks like: care that stays with someone through treatment, into survivorship, and beyond. It acknowledges the emotional weight of the experience—not as an afterthought, but as a core part of care.

How Color supports mental health alongside medical care

At Color, we’ve built Cancer Care that reflects the full experience of the people we serve. A key part of that is offering emotional and mental health support that’s accessible, relatable, and ongoing.

Color Cancer Connect is the only peer-led support program built for people living with cancer, caregiving for someone with cancer, or navigating life after treatment. The program blends evidence-based tools with the power of shared experience–creating a space for people to connect, reflect, and feel understood. Sessions are drop-in and flexible, so participants can join whenever they need support, no matter where they are in their journey. 

Color Cancer Connect coaches—individuals who have either navigated cancer themselves or supported loved ones through the journey—are trained facilitators who lead support groups for patients, caregivers, and those navigating survivorship. These sessions provide space to process, connect, and learn practical tools for managing the mental and emotional impact of cancer.

Our model is built on shared experience, empathy, and evidence-based guidance—because no one should have to carry the emotional weight of cancer alone.