We asked Myriam von M about her experience: How do people who have received abnormal results in cancer screening react? What effects does uncertainty have on affected women?
Myriam von M: ‘People often come to me with abnormal findings. Most of the time they are totally insecure and don’t understand what it all means. Some immediately think they have cancer because they just haven’t been properly informed or advised. They are scared to death and often think that they are going to die. I try to calm them down and explain that abnormal results don’t necessarily mean cancer, and that they still have several options.
But the worst thing for those affected is not knowing where the journey will end. The psychological pressure to be examined every few months is immense. At each examination, the abnormalities could still be there, or even worsened. This feels like a ticking time bomb to many people. Some go as far as to think that they would like to have the whole organ removed. That way life could be so much easier for the affected person. In the field of cervical cancer, for example, there is a simple diagnostic smear, and the results are quickly available. This means that the pressure of suffering is taken away, and a woman can act or wait in peace until her body heals on its own. That’s why my educational work is so important to me.’
But what if an abnormal finding does not heal on its own? What can help a person who suddenly becomes a cancer patient?
Myriam von M: ‘I believe you can never really take away people’s fear after a cancer diagnosis. Experience has shown that the longer the timepoint of diagnosis goes back in the past and the longer a person is in a healthy phase, the more anxiety manifests itself. People become fearful that the health and normality they are enjoying will disappear. You learn to live with it in a certain way and you come to terms with it. But you are never really free in your life again. What helps these people most is normality, sensitivity and also solidarity—the feeling of not being alone with your fears is very important. That is why I give my patients the opportunity to exchange information with each other. They all have the same ultimate goal: To survive as long and happily as possible.’
Many thanks to Myriam von M for taking the time to answer our questions!