Scared of dying from deadly cancer

Thoughts of dying from cancer is on my mind most days. Throughout the years I've seen specialist and had test to check for all sorts of diseases and cancers, all negative. All that was ever found is that I have a rare benign condition, however recently it was linked to pancreatic cancer. After reading the article I have become obsessed with dying of pancreatic cancer. My doctors and gastro doctor all tell me that pancrease is fine, CT 2.5 year ago and MRI confirmed it recently.

I spent countless hours reading these medical reports and I feel I know way too much. It's my fault and too late to erase all the facts.

Any advice on how to get through this? My psychiatrist has me on Avitan & Zoloft, which I don't take. Also I plan to quit smoking marijuana daily, it's starting to increase my anxiety. Higher THC strains always give me panic attacks but I found a lower indica strain that is more of a body high.

Here is sample of study:

http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/2165 ... 1-e001.pdf
Familial pancreatic hyperenzymemia is a benign condition and its pathophysiological mechanism is still unknown. An appropriate clinical and imaging follow-up should be carried out in those patients having this condition associated with familial pancreatic cancer.

Another Study
An elevation in serum pancreatic enzymes in the absence of pancreatic disease is reported in the literature and defined as “benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia” or “Gullo’s syndrome” [7]. This condition can occur sporadically or in a familiar form, it is asymptomatic, and it is generally discovered incidentally. Nobody of the subjects included in this definition had been treated in the past with pancreatotoxic drugs. These authors sustain that at least one year must pass after the initial finding of pancreatic hyperenzymemia before it can be considered benign. Furthermore, they emphasize that a proper diagnosis of this condition is important because it allows the clinician to reassure the subject that this alteration is benign and does not require any kind of therapy. Nevertheless the possibility that these individuals could have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer cannot be excluded.

apa37us: The two articles you quote are absolutely clear. They say you will not die of the disease they describe. Assuming you can read, and understand the articles, your worries should have already disappeared.

You are seeing a psychiatrist. That means no one in this forum can make suggestions or try to tell you what's wrong with you.

I believe I won't be censured or kicked off Psych Forums if I suggest you ask your psychiatrist if the articles say what I wrote they say in the first paragraph. Or that you ask anyone you trust to read the articles and tell you that they assure anyone having that diagnosis they will not die of the disease. It says it is "benign." That means not harmful. I hope this might help. Let me know whether it does or doesn't.

I ran into more studies today and I just pray what I have is benign and I do not have a really high increase change of getting pancreatic cancer later in life around 35-50 years of age

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19296399
Chronic asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia is a benign condition in only half of the cases: a prospective study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042375
it's characterized by serum elevation of all pancreatic enzymes in the absence of underlying diseases; it occurs in either sporadic or familial form and it persists over time with considerable fluctuation in serum enzyme concentrations, including frequent normalizations. Proper diagnosis of this form of hyperenzymemia is important because it reassures the subjects having this anomaly that the syndrome is benign, and because it can prevent multiple and expensive diagnostic tests or useless hospitalizations or therapies.


Chronic asymptomatic hyperamylasemia unrelated to pancreatic diseases.

Summary of "Chronic asymptomatic hyperamylasemia unrelated to pancreatic diseases."

Purpose: This study was addressed to assess the clinical characteristics of patients presenting with chronic hyperamylasemia unrelated to pancreatic diseases (CHUPD). Almost all patients presenting with chronic hyperamylasemia undergo expensive, long, difficult, and often unnecessarily repeated diagnostic procedures. This is in conjunction with the poor knowledge of the fact that besides hyperenzymemia secondary to pancreatic diseases and systemic illnesses, various non-pathological forms of chronic hyperamylasemia without relevant pathologic consequence can occur in clinical practice.Material and Methods: Data of all patients with CHUPD were retrospectively reviewed (June 1997-December 2009). Fifty one patients were included in the study; median follow up was 48 months (range 8-112 months). Their pre-enrolment diagnoses were: chronic pancreatitis in 31 cases (60.7%) and recurrent pancreatitis in 13 cases (25.4%); the remaining 7 patients (13.7%) were without a specific diagnosis.Results: Our observations, supported by diagnostic procedures (Ca19-9 serum levels, abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasonography) revealed that CHUPD was secondary to: a) benign pancreatic hyperamylasemia, 20 patients (39.2%); b) macroamylasemia, 18 patients (35.2 %) and c) salivary hyperamylasemia, 13 patients (25.4%).Conclusions: Due to the poor familiarity with CHUPD, the occurrence of this condition quite frequently leads to unnecessarily repeated diagnostic procedures.

apa37us: Again, all the articles say it is benign and that you have nothing to worry about. That makes 5 that have said you have no need to worry. Feel free to waste your time finding more. I suggest you find something more enjoyable, but to each his own enjoyment.

I too am terrified of getting cancer and dying from it. My grandmother had Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare type of cancer, and it was really bad. I literally watched her die a very slow and painful death. And I'll never forgive myself for not vising her on her final day alive because I wouldn't get out of bed. (I have really chronic fatigue from depression. Sometimes I can sleep through an entire weekend and not realize it until I wake up.)
I've seen what it can do first hand. Heck, being Pre-Diabetic doesn't sound so bad compared to Cancer. In fact, I'm more terrified of the possibility of getting cancer than I am of becoming a full-blown Diabetic! So I can agree that YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT to be afraid! And I'm not saying this to scare you. I am being completely honest with you, Girl Scouts Honor.

-- Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:45 am --

I too am terrified of getting cancer and dying from it. My grandmother had Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare type of cancer, and it was really bad. I literally watched her die a very slow and painful death. And I'll never forgive myself for not vising her on her final day alive because I wouldn't get out of bed. (I have really chronic fatigue from depression. Sometimes I can sleep through an entire weekend and not realize it until I wake up.)
I've seen what it can do first hand. Heck, being Pre-Diabetic doesn't sound so bad compared to Cancer. In fact, I'm more terrified of the possibility of getting cancer than I am of becoming a full-blown Diabetic! So I can agree that YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT to be afraid! And I'm not saying this to scare you. I am being completely honest with you, Girl Scouts Honor.