Mesothelioma Cancer and Anxiety
As if a mesothelioma diagnosis weren’t difficult enough, anxiety can make things even worse.
It’s important for mesothelioma patients and caregivers to recognize that mesothelioma, and its treatment all bring on a variety of anxiety-causing circumstances. For instance:
- Mesothelioma or other asbestos cancers can cause alarming symptoms such as breathlessness or pain, and can limit a person’s ability to function.
- Patients facing surgery, radiation or chemotherapy often dread the effects of treatment and worry about the outcome.
- Some medicines can cause anxiety as a side effect.
- A life-threatening disease can stir apprehension about the mesothelioma patient’s fate and the security of loved ones.
To effectively cope with anxiety, mesothelioma patients should determine how severe or debilitating their anxiety is—that is, how much do anxiety and any related symptoms interfere with day-to-day functioning and enjoyment of life? If the answer to that question is “a lot,” mesothelioma patients should immediately seek help from their oncology team or other health care professionals.
Recognizing Anxiety
Anxiety—a feeling of persistent worry or dread—is often accompanied by other symptoms. These include:
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Headaches
- Muscle tension
- Insomnia, nightmares or other sleeping difficulties
- Problems concentrating; intrusive thoughts or mental images
- Unexplained sweating or trembling
- Feelings of panic
- Irritability or short temper
- Behavioral symptoms including substance abuse, overeating or undereating due to nervousness
Sometimes anxiety is linked only to specific circumstances—for instance, apprehension about a pending surgery or medical tests. In such cases, specific steps can sometimes be taken to ease the apprehension. In other instances, the anxiety is a more general, persistent feeling that can’t be resolved by addressing specific concerns and might therefore require medical intervention.
Anxiety Disorders
An asbestos cancer ordeal can provoke existing anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, a condition in which worry, tension and anxiety are chronic and don’t seem to have an obvious cause. The strain of having asbestos cancer such as mesothelioma can also aggravate panic disorder—where bouts of intense fear are accompanied by physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, sweating and dizziness.
If you have a history of anxiety disorders, or suspect you may suffer from any of these conditions, seek medical help promptly.
Methods of Coping
Because anxiety can harm overall well-being, asbestos cancer patients are advised to do the best they can to take care of themselves, by eating as healthfully as possible, exercising if they can, obtaining proper rest, and relying on family and friends for social and emotional support.
Feeling in control is important. Mesothelioma and asbestos cancer patients should remember that they are the ultimate decision makers and can guide their treatment to be sure it is adapted for their concerns. At home or at work, keeping routines as normal as possible can also help patients retain a sense of control.
Anxiety in asbestos cancer patients often results from uncertainty about prognosis and the effects of treatment. Patients who feel that way might benefit from seeking out more detailed information about their condition and proposed treatments, and collaborating more closely with their treatment team. The goal: to fully understand how treatment is expected to affect the asbestos cancer and what side effects it will cause. Also, getting a second opinion—especially from a large, university-based cancer center—is advisable, specifically with a rare cancer such as mesothelioma.
Understanding which situations cause stress or anxiety can also be beneficial. For instance, it might help to schedule medical tests early in the week, so a weekend isn’t consumed worrying about what the results might be.)
It also can be helpful to schedule blocks of time to put the asbestos cancer and its effects out of your mind as best you can—sort of a “mini-vacation” away from the disease. In addition, research has found that stress management training can reduce treatment fears as well as post-treatment anxiety and improve quality of life in asbestos cancer patients.
