150 Fighting Cancer Quotes to Encourage & Comfort

These inspirational quotes about fighting cancer will lift your spirits and spread awareness.

If you or someone you know is fighting cancer, words of strength and encouragement can help throughout the journey.

These quotes for cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers will offer comfort, wisdom, and inspiration.

Maintaining a positive vibe and managing stress is especially important when you’re dealing with cancer.

Uplifting proverbs and mantras can help soothe the soul during difficult times.

Share these inspirational quotes with all of the people in your life who have been affected by cancer. 

Messages of hope and inspiration can make a big difference for someone fighting cancer.

Remember these encouraging quotes and words of wisdom whenever you need comfort or strength.

Open up your mind to fresh perspectives and shift your outlook on life.

When you’re dealing with cancer, positive mantras and words of affirmation can be reassuring throughout your journey.

These fighting cancer quotes can be inspirational and can help spread awareness.

Read and share the inspiring words below to encourage all the fighters in your life.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration. 

If you enjoy this collection, check out our inspirational quotes category page.

Fighting cancer quotes to lift your spirits

1. “We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up or fight like hell.” – Lance Armstrong

2. “Cancer is a word, not a sentence.” – John Diamon

3. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

4. “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa

5. “There is no hope unmingled with fear, no fear unmingled with hope.” – Baruch Spinoza

6. “When someone has cancer, the whole family and everyone who loves them does, too.” – Terri Clark

7. “Once cancer happens it changes the way you live for the rest of your life.” – Hayley Mills

8. “Cancer is a journey, but you walk the road alone. There are many places to stop along the way and get nourishment – you just have to be willing to take it.” – Emily Hollenberg

9. “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer, you beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live.” – Stuart Scott

10. “I’m in good shape. My cancer means I have lost a lot of organs and I’m a lot lighter. I have devoted myself to yoga and I’m doing handstands.” – Eve Ensler

Fighting cancer quotes to help you maintain a positive outlook

11. “Today we fight. Tomorrow we fight. The day after, we fight. And if this disease plans on whipping us, it better bring a lunch, ’cause it’s gonna have a long day doing it.” – Jim Beaver

12. “Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore.” – Melissa Etheridge

13. “To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.” – Katherine Paterson

14. “My cancer scare changed my life. I’m grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life.” – Olivia Newton-John

15. “Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me.” – Ingrid Bergman

16. “Above all, cancer is a spiritual practice that teaches me about faith and resilience.” – Kris Carr

17. “You know, once you’ve stood up to cancer, everything else feels like a pretty easy fight.” – David H. Koch

18. “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” – Jim Valvano

19. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” – Ambrose Redmoon

20. “Cancer is that awful word we all fear when we go to the doctor for a physical exam, but in that brief dark moment we hear it the world we live in and the people we share it with begin to illuminate things we did not even pay attention to.” – BD Phillips

You might also like these inspirational get well soon quotes that will help you know what to say when someone you love is feeling sick.

Fighting cancer quotes to encourage all those affected

21. “Yes, I have cancer and it might not go away, but I can still have a future because life goes on.” – Kris Carr

22. “The important thing is not how many years in your life but how much life in your years.” – Edward J. Stieglitz

23. “Beating cancer is personal battle. It was one of the toughest opponents I have faced so far, and I think I did reasonably well. Touch wood.” – Yuvraj Singh

24. “It’s possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again.”
— Erika Evans, leukemia survivor

25. “Cancer is not a straight line. It’s up and down.” – Elizabeth Edwards

26. “Cancer is messy and scary. You throw everything at it, but don’t forget to throw love at it. It turns out that might be the best weapon of all.” – Regina Brett

27. “I cried like a baby. When no one could see me or hear me. Not because I feared what cancer would do, but because I didn’t want the disease. I wanted my life to be normal, which it could no longer be.” – Yuvraj Singh

28. “Nah. I’m a tough cookie. Except for the cancer, I’m fine.” – Lisa Scottoline

29. “There’s always hope beyond what you see.”— Cora Connor, kidney cancer caregiver

30. “You can be a victim of cancer or a survivor of cancer. It’s a mindset.” –  Dave Pelzer

For additional reading, be sure to also check out these hero quotes that will inspire you to make a difference.

Fighting cancer quotes to make you strong

31. “Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I’d rather not belong to.” – Gilda Radner

32. “Cancer is not a death sentence, but rather it is a life sentence; it pushes one to live.” – Marcia Smith

33. “Cancer is such a ruthless adversary because it behaves as if it has its own fiendishly cunning agenda.” – Paul Davies

34. “Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” – Emory Austin

35. “Cancer affects all of us, whether you’re a daughter, mother, sister, friend, coworker, doctor, or patient.” – Jennifer Aniston

36. “We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.” – Winston Churchill

37. “Optimism is the foundation of courage.” – Nicholas Murray Butler

38. “Cancer is only going to be a chapter in your life, not the whole story” – Joe Wasser

39. “Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.” – G. K. Chesterton    

40. “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom

Fighting cancer quotes to inspire and comfort

41. “Take one day at a time. Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Billy Graham

42. “Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations.” – Kia Wynn

43. “Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” – Misty Copeland
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Misty Copeland quotes for a life of passion.

44. “For every wound, there is a scar, and every scar tells a story.  A story that says, ‘I survived!’” – Craig Scott

45. “Since I had cancer I’ve realized that every day is a bonus.” – Geoffrey Boycott

46. “I’m going to beat this cancer or die trying.” – Michael Landon

47. “The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart.” – Nikolai Lenin

48. “Strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts; not amidst joy.” – Felicia Hemans

49. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

50. “Don’t give up. Every day is worth it.”— Hashmat Effendi, breast cancer survivor

Powerful fighting cancer quotes

51. “Faith doesn’t always mean that God changes your situation, sometimes it means he changes you.” – Steven Furtick

52. “Be your own healthcare advocate. You owe it to yourself and the people that love you.” – Dawnia

53. All we’ve got is hope, and we hang on to that every single day.” – Caleb Scott

54. “Surviving cancer is not the end of a gruesome story, it’s the beginning of a beautiful one.” – Casey

55. “I am not thankful for cancer but I am thankful for what cancer has taught me.” – Brett Conley

56. “Cancer doesn’t define who you are, you do it, so keep going.” – Marla, thyroid cancer survivor

57. “There will come a time in life when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” – Bishop

58. “People ask if I had it to do again, would I choose cancer? Yes.” – Sally Morgan

59. “Always be inspired on every trial you face for these are stepping stones for a higher purpose” – Juano Ocampo

60. “Cancer didn’t bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet.” – Michael Douglas

More fighting cancer quotes and sayings

61. “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins

62. “Everyone in this world is breathing borrowed air.” – Rachael Lippincott

63. “The best way to deal with ‘Change’ is to lead it!” – Clifford L Feightner

64. “You are stronger than cancer beat it.” – Odeta Stuikys Rose

65. “You have to fight because if you don’t, you let the opponent win, and if your opponent is cancer, the results can be deadly.” – Lawrence Wray

66. “We all have two lives. The second one starts when we realise we only have one.” – Lawrence Wray

67. “Cancer doesn’t have to define you.”— Nelda Blair, anal cancer survivor

68. “Well to be fair, I said, I mean she probably can’t handle it. Neither can you, but she doesn’t have to handle it. And you do.” – John Green

69. “Love and laughter are two of the most important universal cancer treatments on the planet. Overdose on them.” – Comic Strip Mama

70. “Being positive is the best medicine you can take.”— Maggie Howard, sarcoma survivor

Fighting cancer quotes to inspire you to kick cancer’s ass

71. “Without hair, a queen is still a queen.” ― Prajakta Mhadnak

72. “I have cancer. Cancer doesn’t have me.” — Marco Calderon

73. “It’s about focusing on the fight and not the fright.” — Robin Roberts

74. “I won’t let cancer define me, but I’ll use my journey to help others.” – Douglas Clarke

75. “My father’s death from prostate cancer in 1993 was tragic. He never complained about pain. He was a fighter.” — Zoe Wanamaker

76. “I’m happy to tell you that having been through surgery and chemotherapy and radiation, breast cancer is officially behind me.” — Carly Fiorina

77. “I’ve had a hip replacement, I’ve beaten cancer, I had my hand operation, and I stopped drinking. Something inside of me just went, ‘I’m done.’” — Eddie Van Halen

78. “Cancer taught my family that my mom is much stronger than we ever thought. Faced with a devastating diagnosis, she just kept going and living – never complaining.” — Richard Grenell

79. “When I hear a guy lost a battle to cancer, that really did bother me, that that’s a term. It implies that he failed and that somebody else that defeated cancer is heroic and courageous.” — Norm MacDonald

80. “Enjoy every day without worrying about the next.”— Diego Zamora, pancreatic cancer survivor

Fighting cancer quotes about food choices and diet

81. “Coffee is already known to be a preventive factor against mild depression, Parkinson’s disease, and colon and rectal cancers.” — Chris Kilham

82. “We can reduce these cancer rates – breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer – by 90 percent or more by people adopting what I call a nutritarian diet.” — Joel Fuhrman

83. “I was raised on pork… steak, chicken, everything… And everyone in my family, pretty much of the older generation has diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer.” — Mya

84. “Berries are the healthiest fruit, offering potential protection against cancer and heart disease, boosting the immune system and acting as a guard for the liver and brain.” — Michael Greger

85. “Every day is a chance to create a memory and to love a little more.”— Jessi Hooks

86. I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

87. “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present.” – Buddha

88. “It’s my firm intention to whop cancer into submission and I truly believe I’ve given myself the best start possible by radically overhauling my diet and by staying true to my motto, which is: Don’t worry, be happy, feel good. The first thing I did when I was diagnosed was to turn vegan.” — Larry Hagman

89. “No matter what the statistics say, there is always a way.” – Bernie Siegel

90. “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet.” – William Frederick Halsey, Jr.

Fighting cancer quotes to boost your confidence

91. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” – Steve Jobs

92. “Don’t let pain define you, let it refine you.” – Tim Fargo

93. “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

94. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as beautiful as you’d ever imagined.” — A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

95. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” — Cayla Mills

96. “Cancer is the be-all and end-all of the sport, and the only thing you can do is show up to the game with your jersey on.” — Colleen Hoover

97. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

98. “Parents with children who have cancer: I was your child 30 years ago, and I’m here today.” – Nora Kulkarni

99. “Cancer can touch you, but not your soul; neither your thoughts nor your heart.” — Vikrmn, Guru with Guitar

100. “When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live.” — Stuart Scott

Fighting Cancer Quotes To Encourage You To Have Something To Look Forward To and Keep Going.

101. “One of the things that can help people with cancer is having something that you really look forward to doing, so that you can focus on that while the treatments are going on. I guess it’s like saying, ‘I have unfinished business left before I die.” — Joe Marelle

102. “Cancer gave me an understanding of the point of all this. To survive. Most of our lives it is easy but for the moments when it becomes difficult, when an accident or sickness or sadness strikes, it’s just about remembering one thing. You must simply survive.” — Shaun Hick

103. “I think cancer is a hard battle to fight alone or with another person at your side, but I will say having someone to pick you up when you fall, standing by your side through every appointment and delivery of bad news, is priceless.” — Jenna Morasca

104. “Cancer has shown me what family is. It showed me a love that I never knew really existed.” — Michael Douglas

105. “Who can say they have been through cancer twice and beat it? Confront the world, Aundrea. You’re alive. Be proud of the strong woman you are and stop hiding behind your wig.” — Amanda Maxlyn

106. “The failure to think positively can weigh on a cancer patient like a second disease.” — Barbara Ehrenreich

107. “A life touched by cancer is not a life destroyed by cancer.” — Drew Boswel

108. “Cancer does not stop your life, giving up your dreams or your goals, it is simply a parameter to manage, no more, no less than all the other parameters of life.” — Gérard Bourrat

109. “The truth is that you can be angry and scared and happy and grateful and tired and fed up at the same time. I guess that’s the gift of cancer.” — Mary Elizabeth Williams

110. “There can be life after breast cancer. The prerequisite is early detection.” — Ann Jillian

Fighting Cancer Quotes To Encourage Patients TO Keep Pushing

111. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift – that’s why it’s called ‘the present.” — Bill Keane

112. “Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.” — Sonia Ricotti

113. “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” — Oprah

114. “Cancer is a marathon – you can’t look at the finish line. You take it moment by moment, sometimes breath by breath, other times step by step.” — Sarah Betz Bucciero

115. “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know WHO holds tomorrow.” — Sigrid Devida

116. “People who said ‘I am here for you’ were some of the sweetest words I ever heard.” — Sylvia Ramsey Savage

117. “I’m battling cancer. It’s another battle I intend to win.” — Arlen Specter

118. “In terms of fitness and battling through cancer, exercise helps you stay strong physically and mentally.” — Grete Waitz

119. “Cancer is a fight to the death. Either you kill it, or it will kill you. Get ready to brawl.” — Lawrence Wray

120. “I now know why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit. So, I believed.” — Lance Armstrong

Fighting Cancer Quotes To Encourage And Uplift Cancer Patients

121. “Cancer opens many doors. One of the most important is your heart.” – Greg Anderson

122. “Ignoring your prostate can be lethal.”— Angela Culhane

123. “Acceptance of death and cancer did not mean I intended to give up, just the opposite. I was prepared to fight cancer not out of fear of dying, but out of joy of living.” — Edie Littlefield Sundby

124. “Cancer is WAY too serious to be taken seriously all the time.” — Tanya Masse

125. “Remember that all cancers are not the same. Take each day as it comes and spend time doing things you enjoy with your loved ones.” — Robin Squellati

126. “I am grateful to be alive and still have the quality of life which makes it possible for me to spread awareness related to the benefits of detecting prostate cancer early.” — Mical J. Roy

127. “Cancer recovery is hard work. Life is hard work. And it really pays off. Hang in there.” — Helen Szablya

128. “Cancer does not define who I am, although it is a significant part of me and who I am becoming.” — Carrie Kreiswirth

129. “Our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do.” — Shannon Doherty

130. “Cancer served a real purpose, making me a little bit more conscious of time.” — Gloria Steinem

Fighting Cancer Quotes To Give You Strength To Fight

131. “Cancer changes your life, often for the better. You learn what’s important, you learn to prioritize, and you learn not to waste your time. You tell people you love them.” — Joel Siegel

132. “With breast cancer, it’s all about detection. You have to educate young women and encourage them to do everything they have to do.” — Bill Rancic

133. “Did you notice the smile on a cancer patient’s face after the last treatment? That’s the smile you want on your face.” — Lawrence Wray

134. “Breast cancer is scary and no one understands that like another woman who has gone through it too.” — Mindy Sterling

135. “If you have a friend or family member with breast cancer, try not to look at her with ‘sad eyes.’ Treat her like you always did; just show a little extra love.” — Hoda Kotb

136. “If I keep grinning maybe my inoperable colon cancer won’t hurt so much.” — Tony Millionaire

137. “[What got me through cancer was] taking each day at a time, knowing it was temporary.” — Jessica Pace

138. “Joy shouldn’t go away because you have cancer.” — Mandi Hudson

139. “Cancer doesn’t care, so you have to.” — Crystal Brown-Tatum

140. “Cancer can only control a “body” but our will and our spirit are forever our own.” — Lynda R. Baio

Fighting Cancer Quotes to Empower You in Your Fight Against Cancer

141. “Fighting cancer is my mission right now. The research and development of finding cures for this nasty disease is my passion.” ― Judith Hill

142. “Now I’m fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how’s your day, and nothing is changed for me.” ― Jim Valvano

143. “I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.” ― Terry Fox

144. Prevention is a very important part of solving the problem of cancer.” ― Eva Vertes

145. “Cancer had a chance to break me down, but I was determined to fight back with strength and positivity.” ― Samantha Harris

146. “It amazes me that we spend 20% of the US budget on defense and far-off wars, and not on fighting cancer, disease, and aging.” ― Zoltan Istvan

147. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate; it doesn’t care who you are, what you do, or how much you have.” ― Jaclyn Smith

148. “Cancer may have started the fight, but I will finish it.” ― Chris Evert

149. “Surviving cancer isn’t about being a hero. It’s about being a fighter.” ― David Ryback

150. “The only way to truly overcome cancer is to face it head-on.” ― Sheryl Crow

Which of these inspirational fighting cancer quotes uplifts you the most?

These encouraging words about fighting cancer will offer you comfort during an extremely difficult time.

Keeping a positive, optimistic attitude can make a huge difference when dealing with cancer.

If you or a loved one need encouragement, these quotes can be a source of strength.

During times of struggle when your courage is tested, remember your favorite sayings and mantras to find inner peace.

The fighting cancer quotes above can help explain the depth of the situation and empower patients and caregivers alike.

Quotes from fighters, survivors, and experts will bring you an intimate understanding of their experiences.

The power of their words can lend you strength on your own cancer journey.

These powerful sayings and brilliant insights will help you find peace and comfort.

During the darkest times of our lives, there is still always hope.

Read these inspirational cancer fighting quotes to motivate, soothe, and spread awareness. 

What are your favorite quotes about fighting cancer that have helped you maintain a positive outlook during difficult times?

Let us know in the comment section below.