Today - 15 September - is World Lymphoma Awareness Day, an initiative led by the Lymphoma Coalition. Every year, we join the global lymphoma community to raise awareness about lymphoma symptoms, early diagnosis and treatment, as well as the wider impacts of living with lymphoma.
The 2025 theme for World Lymphoma Awareness Day is Honest Talk. We know that the emotional effects of lymphoma can be just as challenging as the physical symptoms of the condition, yet many people struggle to talk about it or seek support. According to the Lymphoma Coalition’s 2024 Global Patient Survey:
- 67% of people living with lymphoma report emotional effects like anxiety, depression and fear of the cancer coming back or getting worse
- 96% of people said it is important their doctor tells the full truth about the diagnosis or test results when breaking difficult news
- 91% of care partners also experienced emotional effects
- 64% of people said they have difficulties returning to work.
I didn’t want him to see that I was struggling because he’s got enough on his plate already. I only wanted him to see that I’m strong enough to be there for him.
Sharing how you’re feeling is important and can help you address the emotional impact of a lymphoma diagnosis and connect you to specialists and resources that can help. The Lymphoma Coalition has designed a set of resources to help when approaching the conversation around how you are feeling – whether that is with your medical team, employer or loved ones. These printable postcards are designed to make those difficult discussions a little easier, and to pave the way towards honest, supportive conversations around how a lymphoma diagnosis has affected your emotional wellbeing.
I’m living with physical side effects of lymphoma treatment, but I would also say that the psychological aspect is huge... it stays with you, you never forget.
Please remember that whatever your connection to lymphoma, we’re here to support you. Our lymphoma community offers a safe, supportive space with a range of support services and information available for people affected by lymphoma, whether you have received a diagnosis yourself or are supporting a loved one.