Re:Ask HN: My 19 year old friend has cancer. How can I help ...
by nodemaker on Monday March 10, 2014 @07:14PM
(#7376328)
Yes he does have a genetic condition called Lynch Syndrome that makes him predisposed to colorectal cancer. Thanks I will tell him to ask (or ask myself if possible) the oncologist for any possible options.
A reasonable thing to do would be to ask his oncologist "if there are any other options he could think of". It's simple, but usually it forces us to reconsider the problem from scratch. I must warn you though that in a 19 y.o., we (oncologists) usually think very hard and rarely leave any stone unturned.
From experience, the best a friend can do is simply be there and "act normal" ie don't overdo it. No need to do anything special.
Good luck -- sometimes luck is all it takes