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Fear Less - managing fear of cancer returning or progressing

Fear of cancer recurrence or progression is common. It describes the worry about the possibility that cancer will return or progress. About 70 per cent of cancer survivors experience this fear. Patients on immunotherapies or targeted therapies may be at increased risk

Fear of cancer recurrence or progression has debilitating effects on survivors. It affects their day-to-day functioning, work, mood, and quality of life. Fear of cancer recurrence or progression in survivors receiving immunotherapies is complex. Our understanding of this fear, and our targeted therapies, are still in their infancy. This is despite our advances. We have developed and trialed several psychological interventions as part of the Fear Less program. These interventions address fear of cancer recurrence or progression. They apply to both early and advanced diseases.  

The results of our interventions show:

  • Improvements in quality of life  
  • Decreased depression, anxiety, and levels of stress  

We held the Far-less seminar to provide health practitioners with: 

  • A patient’s experience of fear of cancer recurrence 
  • A summary of the current research and treatment models 
  • A discussion on the clinical implication of the research 
  • In introduction to Fear-Less. This is a stepped care program. It is for treating those patients who:
    • Have metastatic melanoma treated with immunotherapies or targeted therapies
    • Are experiencing fear of cancer recurrence and progression

Pages related to Fear Less

See also BioMedCentral

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