6 mindfulness tools to support mental well-being for those facing advanced cancer and their caregivers
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In partnership with Gilead and Kite Oncology | Calm
Advanced cancer affects both body and mind. Explore free mindfulness tools to reframe fear and grief, and encourage self-compassion and relaxation.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis changes everything. While physical demands are often front and center, for many people, including both those with cancer and their caregivers, the emotional weight can feel equally overwhelming.
Gilead and Kite Oncology*, together with Calm, have partnered with a shared purpose: to provide mindfulness content that supports the mental and emotional well-being of those facing advanced cancer and their caregivers.
Scroll down to explore 6 Calm mindfulness meditations and soundscapes curated by Gilead and Kite Oncology.
How does advanced cancer impact mental and emotional health?
“I have suffered severe anxiety and insomnia since my diagnosis, and unfortunately, I have significantly lacked mental and emotional support,” shares Juliska R, advanced breast cancer patient.
Fear of the future. Grief over what’s been lost. Exhaustion that goes beyond the physical. With advanced cancer, when treatment may help manage cancer but a cure may not be possible, it's completely natural for deep and complex emotions to arise. In fact, about 50% of people with cancer confirm experiencing levels of distress, and approximately 2 in 10 report symptoms of depression.
For those with a support network, caregivers play an invaluable role. But juggling that responsibility alongside everyday life can leave little room for rest. Combined with the backdrop of the unknowns that come with caring for someone with advanced cancer, one study reported that only 16% of healthcare providers routinely screen caregivers of patients with cancer for distress.
According to Trisha Raque, PhD, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, University of Denver, the emotional landscape of advanced cancer is rarely straightforward. “There are many different dimensions and ranges of emotion that are important to consider,” she says. “The needs and decisions people encounter can shift significantly at every stage.”
Ann B, an experienced caregiver to her husband with multiple myeloma, affirms this finding: “The emotions are different every day, the anxiety is different every day. You just keep showing up for whatever comes next.”
If you're feeling scared, anxious, or depressed, be gentle with yourself. Whatever you're feeling is completely valid, and you are not alone.
How mindfulness can support people facing advanced cancer
Slowing down to focus on the present, on what's in your control and what grounds you, can help reframe fear, grief, and exhaustion into a greater sense of peace, compassion, and relaxation. Mindfulness-based programs, including relaxation techniques, have been shown to help reduce distress among those experiencing advanced cancer.
Gilead and Kite Oncology have curated 6 free mindfulness tools from Calm in partnership with members of the advanced cancer community, including patients, caregivers, a psychologist, and a patient navigator. These have been selected to support the mental and emotional well-being of patients with advanced cancer along with their caregivers.
As everyone's experience is unique, what brings comfort to one person may not resonate with another. Explore at your own pace, taking only what feels right for you in each moment. Note: Some meditations may include intentional pauses.
Mindfulness tools for embracing self-compassion
When you’re feeling isolated, weighed down, or in pain, self-compassion doesn’t always come easily.
💙 The guided meditations below have been curated by Gilead and Kite Oncology on Calm to help you offer yourself care and compassion in moments of pain, sadness, or isolation.
Caring For Yourself
This uplifting 12-minute guided meditation has been designed to help you set intentions when facing grief or adjusting to change.
The Strength of Compassion
This relaxing 12-minute guided meditation is here to inspire self-compassion in the midst of pain.
Mindfulness tools for easing distress amidst uncertainty
Distress can present in many different circumstances when it comes to cancer. But Kayla M, advanced breast cancer patient, sheds light on how cultivating resilience, or even joy, while navigating hardships can help: “You may not get results that you want, or that are not favorable. But we hold space for that, and we can also find joy.”
💙 The guided meditations below have been curated by Gilead and Kite Oncology on Calm to help ease moments of distress, supporting you to move toward a more empowered state.
Resilience
An empowering yet soothing 10-minute guided meditation to help in moments of unease.
Finding Joy
A short, guided meditation designed to help you find a sense of lightness and joy.
Mindfulness tools for finding relaxation during exhaustion and burnout
Fatigue and disrupted sleep are common for the cancer community — research shows that as many as half of patients with cancer have difficulty sleeping, and a study on caregivers of patients with cancer found that many had poor sleep quality and high levels of stress. While rest may feel out of reach, even the smallest moments of relaxation may help restore a sense of calm and ease the weight of the day.
💙 The mindfulness content below has been curated by Gilead and Kite Oncology on Calm to help you feel more relaxed, even when you’re experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion or burnout.
Alpha Waves and Rain for Deep Relaxation
An ongoing peaceful, meditative soundscape to help find a sense of calm.
Relaxation
A peaceful 10-minute guided meditation designed to help you reduce stress or ease into sleep.
More information on advanced cancer resources
Visit Expose-MBC.com for more resources for people living with metastatic breast cancer. Access resources like the Caregiver Resource Guide from Gilead and Kite Oncology’s caregiver initiative.
GILEAD is a trademark of Gilead Sciences, Inc. KITE is a trademark of Kite Pharma, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. (c) 2026 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved.
For U.S. audiences only.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please speak to a physician to address medical needs.
*Gilead and Kite Oncology are working to transform how cancer is treated. Read more at gilead.com.
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