Home → Symptoms & Diagnosis → Understanding Breast Cancer → Managing Breast Cancer Fears → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Managing Breast Cancer Fears → April 2009: Managing Fear and Anxiety → Managing fear of recurrence, doctor visits?

Managing fear of recurrence, doctor visits?

Page last modified on: May 27, 2009

Question from sara: Soon it will be 3 years since my diagnosis. I don't fit in anywhere anymore. I look older, feel older, and act older, and I'm so tired all the time. I cope with life by building a wall around myself and pretending that I didn't have cancer, but deep down, I just know it will be back. Doctor visits make my heart race; I just want to run out of there. Is this normal or do I need professional help?: Answers —Mitch Golant, Ph.D.: First, congratulations on being almost a 3-year survivor. What you're describing is profoundly similar to most women: when treatment ends, it's as if they've fallen off the edge of a cliff. You are describing a couple of symptoms that would be worthwhile to explore. Let me elaborate. The anxiety you're describing at the thought of visiting the doctor, while extremely common especially around anniversaries, gives you a clue that the treatment and the side effects of treatment being experienced is a traumatic event. And that's pretty common. Look -- the diagnosis of cancer is stressful, the treatments are stressful, the side effects of treatment are stressful, the fear of recurrence is stressful, all of which has an impact emotionally. Expressing emotions, particularly fear, anger, or sadness can be very helpful in reducing that anxiety -- or better, coping with it.; Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: Just from a medical scientific point of view, the bulk of recurrences happen in the first 2 years. So, as you go further from that point it would be helpful to look upon your situation as more hopeful.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2009, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Fear and Anxiety. Mitch Golant, Ph.D. and Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. answered your questions about dealing with fear and reducing the stresses that can accompany breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Mitch Golant, Ph.D. is a health psychologist and senior vice president of research and development for the national office of The Wellness Community, which provides free psychological and emotional support to help people with cancer on their path to recovery. His research focuses on the benefits of online and community support groups for women with breast cancer.

Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. is administrative supervisor for psychosocial programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Lauder Breast Center in New York City, where she leads weekly support groups for women with early and advanced breast cancer.