Is it that time of year again for you? Can you feel the dread and anxiety building as maybe your routine appointment for your x-ray or scan approaches? It is recognised that anxiety can increase when there is a test pending which will screen for, diagnose, or check for progression or recurrence of a cancer.

This anxiety is not uncommon, we know from chatting with patients, like you who attend their appointments at The Primrose Breast Care Centre. We often hear people talk about the anticipation of returning for an appointment. The worry associated with attending for a mammogram or scan can be extreme in some cases, with sleepless nights and loss of appetite. ‘Scanxiety’ was first coined by a patient writing for Time Magazine in 2011. They summed up exactly this phenomenon.

It may be that you have been treated for your breast cancer and you have to return for an annual mammogram as part of your follow-up routine. We are often told that returning for a mammogram can take you back to the time of diagnosis and all the worry this entailed. Sometimes there may be a fear that a new problem will be discovered, or a recurrence of breast cancer found, these thoughts are the most frightening of all.

We also understand that even routine screening mammograms every 3 years can cause apprehension and fear of the unknown with the anticipation and concern that a cancer may be found and how this could impact your life.

Women who are at an increased risk of breast cancer due to family history or genetics will also have routine annual appointments for mammograms and/or MRI. They have often seen how breast cancer can impact their families and it’s natural to fear having to go through the same treatments.

The process of a mammogram or the MRI can also be scary and daunting, having to undress, expose certain body parts, have these areas squashed or the thought of being in a confined space and feeling claustrophobic during an MRI, again these are all perfectly normal concerns and fears that many people feel on the approach to their appointment.

The anxiety and stress can be felt before the appointment, during the mammogram/scan and then also while waiting for the results.

To help cope with “scanxiety” try to maintain your routine and aim to distract yourself, why not try some suitable relaxation technique that works for you to control your thoughts.

It may also help if you share your concerns with family and friends. Perhaps you could have an appointment “buddy” so you can chat together while waiting for your appointment.

It’s okay to ask questions at your appointment so maybe query when will hear about your results and how results will be relayed to you.

It’s the little things like this that can make a big difference to dealing with “scanxiety”.