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Assistant Professor of Communication Colter Ray knows how to talk about cancer.

He鈥檚 been studying communication with cancer patients for a decade, and last year ran two studies investigating how loved ones 鈥渕ess up communicating鈥� to young adult cancer patients 18-39 years old.

It鈥檚 work that 鈥渉elps people who need help,鈥� he said.

Cancer affects nearly everyone in some way, he said, but people don鈥檛 know how to talk about it or how to say the right thing to patients.

Ray鈥檚 research has found that loved ones can be unsupportive, sometimes saying hurtful things, even if well-intentioned, like aggressively directing how a cancer patient should go about treatment. When that happens, communication is damaged, but it鈥檚 not beyond repair.

What burns bridges is nonsupport.

Ray first coined 鈥渘onsupport鈥� in 2018 to describe when cancer patients鈥� support systems 鈥済host鈥� them. Sometimes it鈥檚 friends, coworkers or even families who don鈥檛 reach out or provide emotional support.

His study in 2023 revealed that nonsupported cancer patients were lonelier, more depressed, and in worse mental and even physical health.

He found that the people who might make up support systems were too afraid to try.

鈥淭hey feel this obligation to say the exact right thing that somehow fixes this person's life when it's not fixable,鈥� he said.

It鈥檚 like a baseball game, he explained. If someone is afraid they won鈥檛 hit a home run, they won鈥檛 even go up to bat.

鈥淚n reality, what you need to do is to get up there, swing the bat and hopefully make contact, maybe get on base, right?

鈥淓ven if it's cliche and kind of basic, that alone is usually enough for people to be thankful -- that you tried.鈥�

Ray has contributed to 13 published articles on this subject, and three more are under peer review.

The process and subject matter are emotionally tough for him at times, but Ray credits his own support system for keeping him balanced.

One day, after re-reading widowers鈥� accounts, he cried 鈥渂ecause they were that intense,鈥� he said. He went home, he said, and clung to his wife.

鈥淚 just hugged her, and I'm like, 鈥榳e're just gonna be right next to each other the whole night on the couch.鈥欌��

Ray said his research makes him more grateful for his own health and supportive relationships among family and friends.

He鈥檒l rely on that support system in his next project: investigating the 鈥渓oneliness epidemic鈥� in the United States.

鈥淚 really know how to pick the cheeriest topic,鈥� he said.

Loneliness affects tens of millions in the United States, he said.

鈥淭hat'd be twice the population of Texas, all needing therapy,鈥� Ray said.

Though his research focus has changed, the core mission is the same: helping people who need help. He鈥檒l investigate how people have gotten through loneliness and how to help struggling people.

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