Cancer Anxiety, Scanxiety and Fear of Recurrence
"Scanxiety" is the anxiety people with cancer feel before, during and after scans and while waiting for results. Fear of recurrence is the ongoing worry that cancer will come back. Both are very common, and both respond to treatment. Our virtual IOP teaches practical skills to manage them.
What is scanxiety?
Scanxiety is a common name for scan-related anxiety. It often builds in the days before a scan and peaks while you wait for results. You might have trouble sleeping, feel irritable, replay worst-case scenarios, or feel physical symptoms like a racing heart or upset stomach.
Fear of recurrence
Many survivors live with the fear that cancer will return, at every stage and prognosis. It often spikes around scans, anniversaries and new aches or symptoms. Some attention to your body is healthy. Constant checking and catastrophizing every sensation is exhausting, and it's treatable.
Signs anxiety is affecting your life
- Worry that's hard to turn off, especially at night
- Panic attacks or a racing heart before appointments
- Avoiding scans, follow-ups or medical news
- Checking your body for symptoms over and over
- Trouble focusing on work, family or anything else
- Snapping at people you love
How our virtual IOP helps
DBT Skills Group
the TIP skill for calming your body fast, before a scan or in the waiting room, plus radical acceptance for what you can't control
Rotating Theme Group
a full session on fear of recurrence and one on living with uncertainty, with strategies like scheduled worry time and grounding
Sleep & Fatigue Group (CBT-I)
a "worry window" technique for racing thoughts at night
Process / Support Group
talking with others who know exactly what scan week feels like
A skill to try before your next scan
Paced breathing: breathe in for a count of 4, and out for a count of 6–8. Making the exhale longer than the inhale helps calm your body's alarm response. Practice it daily, not just on scan day.
Questions
Talk it through with us
Have a question about the program? Call the practice.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.