Young people living with cancer during the pandemic

Isolation for most of us was quite new. But young people living with cancer became experts during the isolation COVID lockdown brought on. Hannah Sobczak, CanTeen Australia’s New South Wales Area Manager, said CanTeen found young people were coping better compared to the rest of the community.

“In terms of knowing how to isolate and the risks that COVID could pose to themselves and their health,” Hannah said. Though these young people living with cancer whether it be their parent, sibling or themselves having cancer are already living in a state of uncertainty, fear and distress, COVID being in the community heightened their stress and anxiety. But during lockdown, the isolation people felt across the country, people living with cancer didn’t feel alone in isolation as they usually would.

However, when young people are in hospitals themselves for treatment or surgery, they became more isolated than ever. In the height of the COVID outbreak in Victoria and during the lockdown period, young people with cancer have never felt more alone. Michael Arkalis, 23, relapsed from brain cancer for a fifth time in September 2020 and underwent surgery to have a resection of his brain tumour, which got half of the tumour out. But he did this alone with no family support in person. He was first diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a glial cell tumour in which the glial cells make up the brain when he was five years old. He’s had chemotherapy, radiation and multiple surgeries to remove the tumour. It won’t spread but it won’t stop growing so currently only surgery will work for a short amount of time.

For Michael, it wasn’t COVID being the main issue, it was the restrictions COVID brought on. In October last year when Michael had surgery, the restrictions in Victoria were still tough in hospitals to protect the vulnerable. “I just wanted to see my parents after surgery but that wasn’t possible because of the restrictions in Victoria which made things a lot harder,” Michael said, “it was just the doctors and the nurses” after surgery. He was in contact with his parents over the phone and said the surgery put a lot of stress and anxiety on himself and his family. “I just remember being sick and I didn’t have anyone to support me”. He didn’t have human contact from family and didn’t have his usual support network.

Michael is now in palliative care after chemotherapy didn’t work after he had his surgery last year. He spoke to his oncologist recently and found out his tumour is growing back. Currently, Michael isn’t feeling too stressed or anxious about COVID at the moment since he’s had a COVID vaccination.

The Victorian lockdown made a lot of people living with cancer feel more vulnerable and isolated. Chloe Karis interviews a cancer patient and speaks to one of CanTeen Australia's psychosocial clinicians.