The Benefit of Fear of Recurrence

Fear of recurrence is a common source of stress and anxiety for people who have completed cancer treatment. “No Evidence of Disease” is a title for some that bears the weight of when will there be evidence of disease again? Will my next scan show something? Is that ache in my side a new tumor? Particularly for people who were staged three or four, many people find themselves wondering when the other shoe will fall. But some people who have had a recurrence look back and find that there was purpose with their fears – it created a buffer between this horrendous news and having to incorporate cancer back into their daily lives because they were able to say, well I kind of saw it coming or at least it wasn’t such a surprise. Some people put cancer totally behind them when they get a clean scan and don't want to spend time or energy thinking about recurrence - if that works for you, great. Most people, however, at some point wonder if recurrence is in their future. It is normal for people who have had cancer to consider what would happen if they are again faced with cancer and with treatment. Now, not all cancers recur. And people who live their lives consistently focusing on recurrence to the point where it interferes with living urgently need to seek help to manage this coping tool and allow it to be effective without becoming damaging. But, as with many fears, it may be less effective to push so hard against having negative thoughts as opposed to allowing a reasonable space to acknowledge them and work through them. If thoughts of recurrence and “what if”s pop up and someone immediately dismisses them without figuring out what they mean or why these thoughts are valid, only to be later diagnosed with a recurrence, time spent dealing with what recurrence would mean may be wasted. If we think in terms of grief work, this is akin to anticipatory grief – grief work that takes place prior to the loss. Recurrence may not occur, but exploring the possibility of recurrence is normal and can be healthy if it is managed appropriately. If you find that you need help exploring the possibility of recurrence or if thoughts of recurrence are becoming overly pervasive, please find a peer support group such as Gilda’s Club and/or a therapist to assist you in managing these thoughts and feelings.