Information about breast cancer

Fear of relapse after breast cancer

Once the treatments are over, everyone breathes a sigh of relief, except you, who have survived the cancer. Your body doesn't feel the same, but most of all, sometimes the fear of the cancer returning creeps up on you. Cancer instills fear. Especially in the first year after diagnosis, but also later, especially during check-ups, fear of relapse sometimes rears its ugly head. This is normal. The majority of all cancer survivors face it regularly.

To gain insight into the extent of the problem, questionnaires are used that score these fears. There are some validated ones in circulation: the "CancerWorry Scale" and the "Fearof Progression Questionnaire. They are used in scientific research. For example, research using the Cancer Worry Scale shows that on average 73 percent of all cancer survivors feel anxious occasionally, 49 percent feel anxious regularly and 7 percent suffer greatly from intense anxiety. Anxiety is generally more severe in younger people, in women, in the first year after diagnosis and in cases of poorer prognosis. Fear of relapse may manifest as brooding behavior, nervousness, poor sleep or inability to let go. The risk of stress and depression increases. Anxiety interferes with finding pleasure in things one used to enjoy, and it sometimes causes impaired functioning at work.

Dealing with fear of relapse

Fear of relapse, however severe, has no impact on survival, but it does impact quality of life. Four in ten cancer patients would like more psychosocial support or coaching to deal with fear. Coen Völker, GZ psychologist at the Helen Dowling Institute and a specialist in psychological care after cancer, has developed several pieces of advice for dealing with the fear of cancer return. Together with psychologist Jan Verhulst, who was himself confronted with cancer, he wrote the book "Fear After Cancer. In it they discuss how fear arises and offer practical tools to make it manageable, so that you dare to look to the future again.

Völker developed a five-step program, based on the acronym HOPPA, that helps deal with fear of relapse:

  1. Recognizefear: Recognize that fear is a normal reaction to a threatening situation that has a major impact on your life.
  1. Examineyour anxiety: Try to understand exactly what you are afraid of and what thoughts and feelings are involved.
  1. Talkabout it: Share your feelings and fears with others, such as friends, family or peers. This can help reduce your anxiety.
  1. Trynew strategies: Find ways to deal with your anxiety, such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, yoga, playing music or other methods that work for you.
  1. Acceptwhat you cannot change: Learn to deal with the uncertainties that come with life after cancer and focus on what you can influence.

Our book tip. 'Fear after cancer. What if you're afraid of getting sick again?" by Jan Verhulst and Coen Völker (Lannoo 2024).

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Breast Cancer
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Hereditary breast cancer is not a doomsday scenario; there are solutions

Ten percent of all breast cancers are hereditary. That means there are abnormal genes in the hereditary material that greatly increase the risk of breast cancer. The best-known breast cancer genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA stands for BReastCAncer). They are passed down from generation to generation. Men can also inherit these genes and pass them on to their offspring. Moreover, both breast cancer genes are dominant. If one of your parents carries the gene, you have a 50 percent chance of inheriting it.
Breast Cancer
BRCA
Testimonial

Genetic cancer: the story of Giuseppina

At the age of 34, Giuseppina was diagnosed with a genetic cancer. She is now 53 and tells us about her journey: "I went through everything," she says with determination, "but all the decisions made turned out to be the right ones." She praises the professionalism of the caregivers, whom she respects greatly, and tells us about the importance of sharing, talking together and building contacts: with people who have lived through all the stages of the disease, which you as a patient are also going through or will go through. In order to get to know their feelings and have a glimpse of your own future.
Breast Cancer
Awareness
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Men can also get breast cancer

About 100 men in Belgium are treated with breast cancer every year. All too often, they remain under the radar. That's why Oct. 7 is their day: the International Day of the Breast Cancer Man.

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