Q. Are there certain times when the cancer experience tends to hit survivors especially hard?

A. Virtually 100% of cancer survivors have a fear of recurrence. It manifests itself whenever the person comes back for testing to see if the cancer has recurred. For days prior to the visit and when waiting to hear test results from the doctor, people may lose sleep and become anxious and irritable.

Once the news that cancer has not returned is given and there’s a discussion about the next steps, that anxiety generally goes away. We’re concerned when people develop chronic anxiety that impacts their quality of life.