Is it normal to feel abandoned by God during cancer?

It is common enough to have a name in the research literature and a place in the Catechism.

Researchers call it negative religious coping. It shows up as conflict, self-blame, or anger at God. High scores on it are unusual, the National Cancer Institute notes, but they are "particularly powerful in predicting poor adjustment to disease."

NCI describes a study of 170 people with advanced cancer. Greater use of negative religious coping was tied to poorer overall quality of life. It was also tied to lower scores on the existential and psychological parts of the scale used. So this is not a small or private matter. It tracks with how people fare.

The Catechism describes illness as something that "can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God." That is in the official text, as a description rather than an accusation.

This is the thing hospital chaplains do most. It is free in most hospitals, and open to people of any faith or none. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, tell your care team. In the United States you can also call or text 988.