The role of fear in diagnosing cancer in time

The causes of the relatively frequent late discovery of the breast cancer (40-60%) in Czech republic are numerous. One of them is the attitude of the patient herself to the disease. Fear and anxiety play are important role in seeing her doctor too late. Beliefs feelings and attitudes to treatment have been formed in potential patients mostly by negative experience and information. It is necessary to impress to the female population the idea that breast cancer can be curable and that the degree of successful treatment depends on early diagnosis and that fear and anxiety delaying the therapy are dangerous. The sources of fear are as follows: false image of incurable disease an idea of subsequent loss of an organs--the symbols of womanhood and sex-appeal physical and psychical degradation subsequent fears of losing a partner loss of social prestige and position at work considerable change in hitherto lifestyle. Own knowledge that these negative ideas are not quite true must be accepted not only by these who have been treated but first of all by those who could find themselves in such a difficult situation. Many other potential sources of fear and worries concern health care. Apart from the lack of interest reluctance and rudeness of hospital staff it is a chronic shortcoming of positive information and intensive health education. In authors group of 120 patients has been proved that mental feelings, fear and anxiety significantly influence the timeliness of diagnosing an illness and its whole course. It is the physicians foremost task to look for any possible ways of overcoming the sources of fear and anxiety and thus to help women to see a doctor as soon as possible. It would be a significant contribution to decreasing the number of advanced stages of breast cancer.