Addressing Your Fears & Anxiety
- With better surgery, smarter imaging, and targeted drugs like IDH inhibitors, the story of low-grade glioma is increasingly one of long-term disease management. Still, any glioma diagnosis is stressful and patients often experience anxiety.
- Dr. Nicolas Gonzales Castro, a neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says that fear is completely understandable, and anxiety related to MRI scans is so common it has its own name — scanxiety.
- “I try to counsel patients and assess their level of anxiety,” Dr. Castro says. “Anxiety is a medical condition. It’s extremely common … it can be treated and it’s important to discuss treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological.”
- While these fears are natural, there is value in working on your mental health to keep your brain and body as strong as possible throughout treatment.
Even so, any glioma diagnosis is stressful and patients often worry about treatment, recurrence, and more. Dr. Nicolas Gonzales Castro, a neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says that fear is understandable, but patients should know that there is a lot to be hopeful for as well.
Read MoreRecognizing & Addressing Fear
Neuro-oncologists who see glioma patients every day will tell you there is nothing wrong with experiencing fear. It’s common and it should be discussed.
Fear and anxiety might present as:
- Constant checking of symptoms
- Being afraid to plan anything in the future
- Feeling detached from loved ones
- Avoiding MRI visits due to stress
Naming the fear out loud with your doctor, therapist, partner, or another close friend or relative can help turn it from something that owns you into something you can work with.
Many centers now routinely screen for distress in brain tumor clinics because they recognize that mental health is as real a part of glioma care as MRIs and bloodwork.
Dr. Castro explains that there’s no shame in seeking treatment for scan-related anxiety, or scanxiety, whatever that treatment might look like for you. Treatment may involve medication to help with anxiety or feelings of sadness or seeking support through talk therapy or cancer support groups.
Treatment & The Mind-Body Connection
There’s a lot of talk about the “power of positive thinking” in cancer — sometimes in ways that can feel dismissive, like if you’re not relentlessly upbeat, you’re somehow hurting your chances.
Still, working on your mental health is a core part of keeping your brain and body as strong as possible for the treatments you’re receiving.
You don’t need to believe that thoughts cure cancer. You only need to believe that feeling calmer, more supported, and more in control is worth working toward.
“When patients are able to do this, it’s a great benefit to them,” Dr. Castro says, adding that there is real value is trying to lead a normal life after diagnosis, as much as safely possible anyway.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- What are some signs that I should start looking for psychological/therapeutic support?
- Are there medications that can help with anxiety or sleep that won’t interfere with my tumor treatment?
- Is there a social worker, psycho-oncologist, or support group here that you recommend?
- How will you help me balance living my life now with planning for the long-term?
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
