The Power of Mindset: How Your Mental Approach Can Impact Your Cancer Journey
By Dr. Tiffany Troso, Medical Oncologist
Potential Pitfalls of an Initial Consult
When you get a cancer diagnosis, everyone suddenly becomes an expert on what you should think, feel, and do. “Stay positive!” they say. “You’ve got this!” they cheer. “Just think good thoughts!” they suggest, as if cancer were a math problem you could solve it with toxic positivity or by pretending everything is fine. Here’s the truth: Your mindset matters, but not in the way most people think.
What Mindset Actually Means
Real cancer mindset is about how you fundamentally approach your diagnosis and treatment. It’s the difference between seeing cancer as something that’s happening to you versus something you are actively managing. It’s choosing to be the one in charge of your decisions and care, instead of a passenger along for the ride.
Research shows there are specific mindset patterns that actually affect outcomes. These are real, measurable differences in survival and quality of life, not just feeling better about things. Here are two of my favorite mindset approaches:
Growth mindset is the belief that skills, resilience, and understanding can be improved. In cancer care, it means you believe you can adapt, learn, and take an active role in your cancer journey, even when things feel overwhelming. This mindset has been linked to better emotional well-being, treatment engagement, and a stronger sense of control. Studies also consistently show that patients who adopt this “growth mindset” have better medical outcomes.
The Meaning-Making Difference: This isn’t about finding silver linings or being grateful for a cancer diagnosis. It’s about finding ways your experience can serve a purpose; whether that’s strengthening relationships, pursuing delayed dreams, or helping other patients. When a patient finds meaning in their cancer journey, they develop what scientists call “post-traumatic growth,” and they live longer, healthier lives.
The Biology Behind Mindset is not just about feel-good advice. One example is that when you are chronically stressed, overwhelmed, or feeling powerless, your body produces stress hormones like cortisol which actually suppresses your immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells.
A landmark study followed 478 breast cancer patients for 10 years. The research showed that patients who felt their lives were manageable and meaningful had remarkable outcomes: – 63% lower risk of cancer coming back – 80% lower risk of dying from cancer – 80% lower risk of dying from any cause These aren’t small improvements. These are the kinds of results that make oncologists do double-takes and pharmaceutical companies spend billions trying to replicate. What This Looks Like in Real Life Beyond the survival statistics (which are pretty compelling), mindset affects your daily experience with cancer. For example: You sleep better. When you feel like you understand what’s happening and have some control over your care, your nervous system can actually relax. You communicate better with your medical team and you make decisions that align with your values. Patients who see themselves as partners in their care ask better questions, advocate for their needs, and catch problems earlier. You maintain relationships that matter. Instead of withdrawing or trying to protect everyone from your reality, you can have honest conversations about what you need and how people can help.
The Mindset Tools That Actually Work
The good news? Mindset isn’t fixed and it is something you can develop. Here are some specific, evidence-based ways to do it: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): This involves meditation and breathing exercises that help you stay present instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios which has been shown to improve immune function and quality of life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This helps you identify and change thought patterns that aren’t serving you. CBT has been shown to reduce distress and actually improve immune system function in cancer patients. Building Your Support Network: This isn’t just about having people bring you casseroles. It’s about creating a team of people who can help you process information, make decisions, and allow you to delegate responsibilities to them. Meaning-Centered Approaches: This involves finding purpose and significance in your experience.
The Final Word on Mindset
Your mindset did not cause your cancer, and changing it will not cure it. But it can influence how you move through the experience. You do not need to be cheerful. You need to stay engaged. When patients put themselves first, get organized, and build meaningful support, they reclaim something essential: the ability to co-author their own story. Your mindset isn’t about “being positive, it is about learning resilience. Your mind and body are on the same team. When you take care of one, you’re taking care of both. And that’s not just good psychology—it’s good medicine. Written By: Tiffany Troso, MD Medical Oncologist and Founder of Winning The Cancer Journey
