Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common concern among cancer survivors. Almost all (up to 97%) of survivors experience some degree of fear or worry about their cancer returning. Given that FCR is not necessarily an entirely ‘unrealistic’ worry for cancer survivors, developing methods to identify and address high (i.e. ‘abnormal’) FCR has been challenging.
With researchers from the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group led by Professor Phyllis Butow, Dr Joanna Fardell recently published a review of theories that have been used to help understand and treat fear of cancer recurrence.
We hope that this review will help psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses formulate appropriate treatment plans for survivors experiencing fear of their cancer returning. The review also highlights a new treatment program, ‘Conquer Fear’, the efficacy of which has been recently evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. The results of this study are highly anticipated.
Reference
Fardell JE; Thewes B; Turner J; Gilchrist J; Sharpe L; Smith A; Girgis A; Butow P, 2016, 'Fear of cancer recurrence: a theoretical review and novel cognitive processing formulation', Journal of Cancer Survivorship, pp. 1 - 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0512-5
If you are a cancer survivor or relative of a cancer survivor and are experiencing worry about cancer recurrence that is causing you distress and impacting your day-to-day life, you may wish to make an appointment with a trusted General Practitioner to discuss options for psychological support. Alternatively, you can contact the Cancer Council helpline on 13 11 20 to speak to a specialist cancer professional.
The Behavioural Sciences Unit is Proudly Supported by the Kids with Cancer Foundation.
With researchers from the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group led by Professor Phyllis Butow, Dr Joanna Fardell recently published a review of theories that have been used to help understand and treat fear of cancer recurrence.
We hope that this review will help psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses formulate appropriate treatment plans for survivors experiencing fear of their cancer returning. The review also highlights a new treatment program, ‘Conquer Fear’, the efficacy of which has been recently evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. The results of this study are highly anticipated.
Reference
Fardell JE; Thewes B; Turner J; Gilchrist J; Sharpe L; Smith A; Girgis A; Butow P, 2016, 'Fear of cancer recurrence: a theoretical review and novel cognitive processing formulation', Journal of Cancer Survivorship, pp. 1 - 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0512-5
If you are a cancer survivor or relative of a cancer survivor and are experiencing worry about cancer recurrence that is causing you distress and impacting your day-to-day life, you may wish to make an appointment with a trusted General Practitioner to discuss options for psychological support. Alternatively, you can contact the Cancer Council helpline on 13 11 20 to speak to a specialist cancer professional.
The Behavioural Sciences Unit is Proudly Supported by the Kids with Cancer Foundation.
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