A Closer Look at What Triggers It and What You Can Do About It
by Susan Krigel, PhD
Almost all cancer survivors have a few things in common: shock at being diagnosed, significant challenges in dealing with the side effects of treatment, and anxiety or worry when active treatment ends and the oncologist’s office says, “We’ll see you in three months.” Part of that worry is not knowing what lies ahead, wondering if your life will get back to normal and fearing that the cancer will return.
Fear of recurrence – a fear that cancer will return or advance – is nearly universal among cancer survivors.
Nearly all survivors have at least some fear of cancer recurrence, and it is not uncommon for it to last for years. As a psychologist who specializes in working with cancer survivors, I don’t try to talk people out of having a fear of recurrence. After all, most cancer survivors face some level of risk of their cancer recurring. My goal in working with survivors is to help them manage their anxiety about cancer recurrence and harness their fear of recurrence
to help them stride toward a happier, healthier life.
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