Being diagnosed with cancer is devastating news for anyone. It is common for people with such a life-threatening illness to experience feelings of fear, disbelief, anxiety and depression. The cancer victim's family, friends and community act as a support network to lessen the negative impact of the disease and its treatment. These non-medical support systems, performed primarily by the family, not only act as medical advocates, but they are also the primary caregivers of the patient, and they are the ones who provide much inspiration and encouragement to the patient. A cancer survivor's quality of life is positively influenced by family support before, during, and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cancer is a dynamic entity, affecting an estimated 1.6 million new cases in the United States in 2014 (NIH). During their lifetime, women have a 38% chance of developing cancer and men, 44%. Figure 1 reflects the likelihood of developing invasive cancers across age intervals, comparing the statistics of men versus women. Given these risks, it is imperative to understand how to treat this condition. The doctors, nurses and their extensive staff know what to do medically and are trained in the psychological aspects of managing the crisis and trauma of cancer diagnosis and treatment. The emotional, spiritual and psychological strength of a cancer patient's family is a major supporting factor during the diagnosis of cancer, the duration of treatment and the healing process (Clay). However, it is the family support group that determines the quality of life of a cancer patient. In terms of cancer treatment and survivorship, quality of life is defined as a “personal sense of well-being encompassing a...... middle of paper ......February 3, 2013. Web. April 8, 2014. Meadows, Chang G. “Chemo Brain.” American Cancer Society. Np, and Web. March 24, 2014. "National Cancer Institute - Organization - The NIH Almanac - National Institutes of Health." United States National Library of Medicine. US National Library of Medicine, nd Web. March 24, 2014. “Protecting Students with Disabilities.” » Ed.gov. US Department of Education, nd Web. April 8, 2014. “Quality of life in long-term cancer survivors.” » News and journal articles in oncology and hematology Wiley Online Library. Np, and Web. April 5, 2014. Siegel, Rebecca, Jiemin Ma, Zhaohui Zou, and Ahmedin Jemal. “Cancer Statistics.” Daily Science. Np, and Web. March 17, 2014. “Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program Transforming Cancer Data into Discovery.” » National Cancer Institute. Np, and Web. April 9. 2014.