What is scanxiety? For the cancer patient or newly diagnosed patient, it’s the wait time before, during, and after a scan. Don’t look it up in Webster’s Dictionary because it won’t be there. It’s unique to cancer patients and it’s real. Simply, you are anxious about the scan and its results. Welcome to the cancer journey. Scanxiety is perfectly normal, but we don’t want it to get out of hand.
Anxiety is one of the most common behavioral side effects of cancer. According to the National Behavioral Health Network, about half of cancer survivors experience some level of anxiety. For many patients, anxiety escalates around the time they’re due for diagnostic testing or post-treatment scans or imaging tests.
Symptoms of anxiety disorders may include:
- Shortness of breath
- Increased heart rate
- Sweating
- Restlessness
- Muscle tightness
- Lightheaded, faint or dizzy feeling
- Nausea or trouble eating
- Moodiness
Stress causes the body to release hormones that may increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. The National Cancer Institute suggests that “chronic stress may cause cancer to get worse and spread” in cancer patients. Therefore, learning to manage stress in the cancer journey is key to surviving cancer.
Here are six tips for dealing with Scanxiety:
- Be thankful for the scan. Scans are a necessary part of the cancer journey. Without blood tests, ultrasounds, X-rays, PET or CAT scans, and MRIs, cancer would not be detectable until it’s advanced and all over the body. Whether detecting cancer in the first place or monitoring its return, your doctors will be ordering these scans regularly for one main reason—to catch any cancers early so you have the best chance of survival.
There are many places in this world that don’t have access to these advanced medical technologies. A doctor in our Bible study raises money to provide ultrasounds in some of these places. He also goes to these places to train the other medical professionals. It’s amazing what providing an ultrasound can do for a medical clinic. Cancer is all about catching it early. Of course, my website, blogs, and YouTube videos are designed to help you prevent cancer in the first place.
- Order additional scans if available. I just celebrated my 10th year of survivorship in May 2025, but in September, my gynecologist felt a small lump in my right breast. The only thing that kept me from going under with overwhelming scanxiety was knowing I had an alternate scan just six weeks earlier called a thermogram. This scan uses an infrared camera to detect areas of inflammation and blood flow. It can detect thermal patterns in the breast that may warrant further investigation such as blood flow collecting in a new area that might eventually feed a tumor. Without blood flow, a tumor can’t grow. Although not currently paid for by insurance, I do one each year and pay out of pocket. My previous thermogram showed all green in that breast, which gave me comfort and lowered my scanxiety.
I also pay out of pocket for an ultrasound of each breast through a traveling service called HerScan. So here’s my plan to curb my anxiety. My doctor orders a 3-D mammogram, bloodwork, and a physical exam each year. Four months later, I have a thermogram, and four months after the thermogram, I have an ultrasound scan. I also do monthly self-checks on my breasts. This helps prevent scanxiety in the first place. When I go for each scan, I know that up to four months ago, I’ve already cleared a previous scan. The peace of mind is worth it for me, especially since mammograms are not as accurate on me due to dense breasts. I was also diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that has a high chance of recurrence.
The two scans that I order are highly recommended by integrative and naturopathic medical doctors. Find out which scans and/or blood tests might be helpful for you. The cost for the thermogram ($189) plus the cost of the HerScan ($295) is well worth the peace of mind for me. And these two scans have no radiation or toxic chemicals. It was this previous thermogram that was my anchor in the storm after my doctor felt a small tumor in my breast.
- Realize as a cancer patient, your doctor treats you as “high alert.” I’ve had five cancer scares in the ten years since my diagnosis. This recent scare was the worst because it was near the area of my first cancer. Last year, a tumor was found on my left ovary—only because my doctors were on “high alert” knowing that my risk of ovarian cancer was higher than normal due to my previous diagnosis and the treatments I received. That tumor was immediately removed and thankfully was benign, but could have eventually become cancer.
After estrogen-blocking drugs for five years, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, my ovarian atrophy only weakened the health of my ovaries. This diseased ovary would never have been found had my gynecologist not been proactive by doing ultrasound scans to keep an eye on both ovaries because I’m treated as “high alert.”
- Exercise to reduce anxiety. From the first moment I was diagnosed with cancer, my husband prayed over me that God would direct our steps and provide healing. The next thing we did was to take a brisk walk. The cancer diagnosis sets off a myriad of stress hormones. And exercise helps to calm this down. Exercise became one of my best ways to handle the stress of the cancer journey. And my practice of daily exercise also helped me to deal with my fears about these upcoming scans. Exercise is a great way to manage the stress caused by a cancer diagnosis or upcoming scans.
- A changed lifestyle reduces anxiety. My doctors were clear after my treatments were over. I am not promised tomorrow due to the aggressive nature of my cancer and the treatments used to arrest it. But I don’t dwell on that. Instead, I consider each day a gift for me to serve God and others. And I don’t worry and fret about my cancer coming back because I know I’ve made many productive lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes have improved my health in many ways, but they also offer some peace of mind.
- Set your eyes on the things above, not on earthly things. It benefits me to make lifestyle changes, but dwelling on fears and the negatives all around me offers me nothing but discouragement and fears. Uncontrolled worries and fears only prevent good health. Caring for your temple in what you eat and how you live promotes good health. And Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-8 offer the antidote to scanxiety and offer wisdom for those of us in the cancer journey and as we strive to prevent recurrence:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Worry never helps anything. Prayer calms the emotional brain and summons God’s help. Looking for the good in the midst of the storm and gratitude promote healing. Always remember, the purpose of the scan is to screen for cancer in a patient with no symptoms, or screen for recurrence in a cancer patient to catch any cancer at an early stage. Early diagnosis is key to surviving cancer. When a cancer spreads to other organs, it can be hard to stop.
Many people ask me why I continue to go to a cancer center that is not in my hometown. Cancer Treatment Centers of America, now called City of Hope, understands that cancer patients have “scanxiety” and they deliver their services in such a way to relieve it as best they can. I may have to drive two and one-half hours, but when I go for my yearly checkup, I get all my bloodwork, scans, and appointments done in one day with results as soon as possible.
As soon as my gynecologist found the lump and referred me for a mammogram and ultrasound, I called my care team. Within 24 hours, they issued the order and had scheduling to contact me to set up the scans.
Ten days later, I arrived for my scans. After my mammogram, the radiologist immediately read them, and gave me the results. Then I moved to the next room for the ultrasound. I didn’t move from that room until the radiologist read the ultrasound scans. No call backs. You know right then if the scan needs to concentrate on another area or be redone. Within 70 minutes of my arrival, I knew my scans were clear and everything was all right. My husband and I believe the drive is worth it every time!
Don’t shoot the messenger. The scan is not the enemy. Cancer is the enemy. The scan may give a type of message, but it’s what helps you find cancer early so you have the best chance of survival. And never forget that.
And I can’t forget to mention my husband, who continues to support me in this journey. Scanxiety is just as hard on the caretakers as the cancer patient.
Have you ever had scanxiety before a cancer screening test or scan? If so, what did you do to calm your nerves?
View this message on YouTube:
Scanxiety: Six Tips for the Cancer Patient
Related Video:
Six Ways We Can Trust God in the Cancer Journey
For Your Health,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, a finalist in Serious Writers Book of the Decade, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.
Ginny is on YouTube
Invite Ginny to speak at your church or event
Link to buy book at Unleash Your God-given Healing
Click to sign up to take Conquering Cancer Course
Ginny is a cancer coach. Make an appointment to meet with her:
**** This content is strictly the opinion of Ginny Brant and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Ginny Brant nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. ****
You might also like
