Contents:
- Medical Video: Coping with the Fear of Cancer Recurrence
- Why can cancer recur?
- How to deal with anxiety and fear of cancer recurrence
- Get to know your triggers
- Give stress to the deadline
- Talk about
- Focus on health
- Perform regular check-ups
Medical Video: Coping with the Fear of Cancer Recurrence
After treating your cervical cancer successfully, you may have to face the fear of cancer recurrence. In fact, fear does not make you feel better but it affects your recovery and your life. It is important for you to use several ways to overcome this.
Why can cancer recur?
Recurrence occurs when your cervical cancer reappears at the initial location or elsewhere in the body, called metastasis. You can also get new, unrelated cancers, which are diagnosed in other parts of the body.
This cancer recurrence can occur due to the fact that cancer therapy cannot kill all cancer cells in the body in some cases. For now, the test is still limited in detecting all cells, so that some cells may be left behind and then reappear as recurrence or metastasis.
It is natural that fear arises after treatment. However, too much worry can affect your quality of life and hinder your ability to achieve long-term goals and plans. It is evident that the number of survivors who experience cancer recurrence is only 1-3 percent, including recurrence of cervical cancer. So why do you have to imprison yourself in fear without doing something about it? The following tips for you.
How to deal with anxiety and fear of cancer recurrence
Get to know your triggers
There is something that can trigger anxiety and then fear without you realizing it, such as the anniversary of your diagnosis or a promise of follow-up. To overcome fear, you must recognize this trigger. In addition, you can plan activities that help divert your attention from thinking about cancer. You can write down what can help reduce your anxiety level and think positively about yourself.
Give stress to the deadline
It's natural to have concerns about cancer recurrence, but let the fear be in your mind for only one minute, one hour, or one day. Try not to think too much about it, which makes you even more upset. Instead, you can set a time limit for yourself where you can feel anything within that time limit. When time runs out, your job is to remind yourself that you have to keep moving forward.
Talk about
Sharing with your loved ones is always an effective way to overcome fear, including fear of your cancer recurrence. They will be willing to give the greatest support if you tell them that you need help.
Talking about it not only helps yourself to let go of negative thoughts but also gives your family and friends the chance to know about your concerns. Let them know that you welcome emotional support and prolonged encouragement to help you overcome your fear.
Focus on health
Your cervical cancer recurrence does not have a chance to occur if you are healthy enough. So, it's important to plan a healthy diet and do physical activity. A healthy lifestyle will improve your health and well-being in general. Focus on things you can control such as nutrition and exercise. This can help keep you away from cancer.
Perform regular check-ups
To really get rid of anxiety about the chance of a recurrence of cancer, you need to obey all the follow-up appointments so that doctors can provide prevention tips and early detection. Never ignore consistent appointments with your oncologist for screening and evaluation after your cancer is treated. This can help a lot so you can quickly notice the warning signs and get rid of them.
Instead of being afraid of things you can control, you must keep yourself healthy and as positive as possible. If you do not take action to overcome these feelings, you may have to live with this fear as a shadow in your life.
