When Ashley Levinson was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2023, she thought she would be able to lean on her relatives for love and support.
But not long after she told them the devastating news, her relatives went silent. The calls stopped coming, and so did the encouraging texts. It was like they had disappeared.
Ms Levinson, a retired nurse from New Jersey, was the victim of cancer ghosting – when friends and loved ones cease all contact after someone receives a cancer diagnosis.’
The loss of friends and some relatives was distressing, and completely unexplained.
The heartbreaking phenomenon is extremely painful for the patient battling cancer, who suddenly finds themselves alone.
Beating cancer takes a village of close friends and family for support as well as a comprehensive medical team of oncologists and counselors to help deal with the myriad of psychological effects of being diagnosed with the disease.