In addition to the fear of recurrence, other sources of cancer-related distress for survivors include concerns about family and finances, changes in body image and sexuality, and the challenges of managing their long-term health needs. Research shows that anxiety and distress are more common in long-term cancer survivors than in their healthy peers with no history of cancer. General advice on coping with stress due to the pandemic, such as this guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can be helpful for cancer survivors as well as for others, Dr. Johns said, steps taken by hospitals and other health care organizations to deal with the pandemic “are delaying or affecting the manner in which some patients are receiving their scheduled cancer treatments, adding stress.” Some cancer treatments may weaken the immune system, which may increase a person’s risk of severe illness from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. For several reasons, COVID-19 “has been a significant added burden” for patients with cancer, said clinical psychologist Shelley Johns, Psy.D., of the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new sources of anxiety and stress for many cancer patients and survivors. Coronavirus Pandemic Adds to Anxiety and Stress for Cancer Patients, Survivors And while a certain amount of anxiety is normal, for some survivors it can become debilitating, she said. “Fear of recurrence is the most common emotional difficulty that people tell us they have after they’ve completed treatment,” said Karen Syrjala, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. “Land on red, we're in for another trip to Cancerland land on black, we have a few more months of freedom.” “Scans are like revolving doors, emotional roulette wheels that spin us around for a few days and spit us out the other side,” wrote cancer survivor Bruce Feiler, in a June 2011 Time magazine article. People often feel especially anxious when they’re due for a scan or other follow-up medical visit-a feeling that some cancer survivors have dubbed “scanxiety.” Danhauer said, survivors’ distress levels often go up, often unexpectedly.įear that the cancer will come back, or recur, is another source of distress for many survivors. One reason for this apparent disconnect is that “it can be scary to go from seeing providers and a medical team on a regular basis to not being seen as frequently,” said Suzanne Danhauer, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at Wake Forest School of Medicine. But many cancer survivors don’t feel like celebrating or don’t feel ready to move on with their lives. So, when treatment ends, family and friends are eager to celebrate. Being diagnosed with cancer and going through intensive treatment is stressful.
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