ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and OSF HealthCare says one of the hurdles cancer survivors can experience is the fear of reoccurrence.
Doctors says the concern can create a paralyzing fear and have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like effect.
Lisa Bruno, an Oncology Nurse Navigator, says there are ways cancer survivors can manage that anxiety.
“The cancer diagnosis has rocked your world once. You sure don’t want it to happen again. Your best bet is to follow through with the treatments that are recommended,” she said. “Seek support and guidance from your providers afterwards and find somebody, whether it’s a group or an individual, that you can trust to lay out these fears on.”
Doctors also recommend trying medication, yoga, or writing in a journal to work through the anxiety.