Last Updated on March 12, 2023 by Mike Robinson

Cancerophobia , also called carcinofobia is persistent to contract for the first time a cancer or to be played again should have gone earlier fear.  

It is a pathological situation that causes real disorders and in which any physical symptom that can be felt is exaggerated. Fear has to be irrational, persistent over time, and not justified.

On the other hand, hypochondria is related to cancerphobia. The hypochondriacal patient has a constant concern motivated by the fear of suffering from a disease. However, in cancerphobia or another specific phobia only the possibility of acquiring it for the first time is feared. Having a relapse is also feared with people who have already had it.

Causes of Cancerophobia

The fear of suffering from cancer can be due to several reasons:

Fear that cancer may be hereditary

The possibility that cancer can be hereditary is very important in determining the likelihood of suffering from this phobia, especially when in the family there have already been cases of this disease.

Currently, genetic studies help to reduce the problem. Thanks to these, it is possible to determine if certain genetic alterations have been inherited or not.

If it is positive, the patient is closely followed to detect the first signs that precede the disease and act immediately.

With these studies the fear of suffering from cancer reduced. Also, an optimistic attitude is adopted. This is because the person can be conscious of not having genetic alterations that could trigger the disease.

Having a diagnosis of cancer

40% of those who receive this diagnosis need psychological and emotional support. Cancer abruptly affects the life of the patient, his family, and his work and social environments.

There are changes in relationships with family, a couple, and friends, affecting their behavior and generating feelings such as anger, depression, or guilt.

Having overcome cancer

When cancer has been diagnosed and overcome, fear is centered on the fear that it will reappear.

The revisions that these patients periodically go through until, once they are finally cured, they are discharged, should serve to reduce the fear of the reappearance of the disease.

However, many patients go to the doctor more frequently for check-ups and remain alert to possible relapses. It has been proven through studies that there is no direct relationship between the real risk and the perceived risk of contracting the disease, and that through exhausted information we can best manage fear.

The recommendations given by the American Society of Oncology to overcome the fear are the following: consult regularly with the specialist for subsequent care; remain well informed about recurrence patterns (reappearance of the disease); adopt a style of healthy living, taking care of both food and regular physical exercise; try to reduce stress; spend a lot of time with friends and family; and perform pleasant activities.

Genetics and family history

There are genetic burdens and family histories that may favor or increase the chances of getting cancer, but nothing is taken for granted.

Not only the genetic factor is relevant to being able to contract this disease. There are risk factors that, in most cases, can be avoided, such as poor eating habits or substance use.

There is also research that shows how type C behavior and cancer are related. In 1980, the researchers Morris and Greer raised the existence of a pattern of behavior that they called type C, but previously Gendron found that anxious and depressed women were prone to cancer.

It was in 1959 when Leshan conducted a literature review on this topic and concluded that hopelessness, loss, and depression are often predictive factors in the onset of cancer.

The type C behavior pattern has the following characteristics:

• Depression: depression is considered an additional factor in the development and onset of cancer. People who suffer from depression have a higher risk of dying from cancer years later.
• Helplessness and despair: this factor is highly related to the appearance of cancer. That is why it is considered a good predictor of the development of cancer or a relapse of cancer. Their way of coping with stressful situations of helplessness and hopelessness is quite related to the appearance of the disease or its reappearance.
• Lack of social support: the loss of important people in the social network of people can be an important factor that contributes to the development of cancer. There is data about people with higher relapse rates of the disease. These people have lost a greater number of recent loved ones than those who do not relapse. There is research that concludes that a lack of social support can be associated with low activity in NK cells. These cells have the capacity to destroy cancer cells when they appear and, therefore, prevent the development of the disease.
• Inability to demonstrate negative emotions: people who are prone to cancer show great difficulty expressing emotions of anger, aggression, and other negative emotions, while expressing positive emotions (love, solidarity, etc.) in excess. They are people who are described as tending to keep negative emotions to themselves. That is, they feel these emotions, but don’t express them in an assertive and appropriate way. Instead, they try to ignore them without actually processing them correctly or solving the problem. They are usually kind and too concerned to please others.

Symptoms of Cancerophobia

The result of this set of thoughts towards the oncological disease is the fear of suffering it, which can cause even more suffering in the person than the pathology itself.

This concern can cause two opposite behaviors in the person: the desire to perform excessive, unnecessary diagnostic tests or, on the contrary, to flee from carrying out any test for fear of diagnosing the pathology.

People affected by this phobia feel that if they are in contact with people suffering from this disease, they will be able to acquire it. Being next to a cancer patient produces various symptoms and discomfort that make them think that the disease can spread throughout their body.

These fears are mainly associated with the fear of death since, despite advances, cancer is still closely related to death.

A certain amount of fear of developing cancer or any other type of disease is normal for any individual. In fact, most people go through that fear at some point in their lives.

In the case of those who suffer from this phobia, the fear is so intense that it paralyzes them and makes them dysfunctional; in these individuals, any symptom is exaggerated. Some of the behaviors that these people adopt as a consequence of this irrational fear are:

• Avoid eating certain foods.
• Get out
• Use certain products for your own and your family’s self-care, which makes life very obsessive.

Treatment Options

It is very important that if you recognize the symptoms that I have described before and if you notice that this is affecting your daily life, you get in touch with a healthcare professional who can help you more directly overcome your phobia.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

The most common and most effective treatment for specific phobias, such as cancer phobia, is treatment with psychological therapies. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are the most commonly used therapies for phobias.

This type of treatment will always need a specialist to design it. Although this is the most common treatment, the ideal is to find a useful treatment. Then adapt that treatment to their indivual needs. This ensures they successfully overcome the situation.

In addition to getting reliable information that helps relativize apprehension (even about advanced treatment technologies), it is also important to talk with friends and family.

Social support

Social support in this phobia is very important. People close to you can be very helpful in relieving stress and anxiety. Also, talking to people who have survived cancer to build a realistic view of the possibilities of overcoming the disease.

Lifestyle Changes

It is always a good time to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. You must understand that getting sick does not mean that we are going to have an unfavorable outcome.

There are steps that we can take that are under our control. These steps allow us to substantially improve our health while decreasing the risk of suffering from certain diseases. If we go to the doctor in time, we can detect the disease in its initial stages. This will increase chances of survival. 

Also read: Phobia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments