Tara Sanft on Managing Fear of Recurrence for Patients with Breast Cancer

Tara Sanft, MD, Medical Director of Adult Survivorship for the Yale Cancer Center Survivorship Clinic, discusses how to support breast cancer survivors who fear cancer recurrence.

Sanft names nurses as a powerful resource when combatting a patient’s fear of recurrence. Patients often have a close relationship with their nurses and feel comfortable enough to communicate their fears and anxieties to those nurses. While mindfulness has been shown to reduce some fears, Sanft suggests that nurses simply be there to walk with patients through their journey. Over time, their cancer and fears surrounding it is not their main thought any longer.