Private scan scared of cancer

[Musshkina]

I’m so scared I have stomach cancer. I’m mid 30s. I paid for private ct which doctor has just said is normal but this is the report. AIBU to still be terrified that it could be stomach cancer?

You have health anxiety. Plenty of things come up, not just cancer. The letter tells you why it might be like that. Nothing mentions cancer. Just wait and see what they say next.

All of the replies reassuring the OP are feeding her anxiety.

OP, I know how it feels to have health anxiety and it’s awful. Please do seek help. Talking therapy has been most helpful for me.

Please rest assured that the CT report (which will have been checked by two consultant radiologists before being signed off) will be accurate. It shows no masses ie no cancer. Stomach wall thickening can be due to simply something that exists (none of us are perfect remember, we don't all have perfect organs or personalities !) or some anomaly that will not be cancer-related. Any cancer mass will show up on a CT. They have suggested an OGD for further follow up but I would advise you see your GP and take the report along. They will be able to reassure you further and organise an OGD if they feel it is worthwhile. No need to put yourself through an OGD if not needed. I used to work for the NHS, not in a clinical capacity, but as a medical secretary and saw CT reports on a daily basis. This sort of 'Conclusion and Comment' is very normal so please don't worry yourself unnecessarily. Any suggestion of cancer or likelihood of cancer is taken very seriously and you would have been contacted promptly for a two week referral to a cancer clinic or further investigation and clinicians would be on the case. I would urge you spend your money (instead of more privately paid investigations) on getting some therapy or CBT technique guidance to help you with your clear hyper-anxiety about your personal health. I hope that helps.

@Louisa58 Thank you. Really? So stomach cancer would've shown up on a CT scan?

OP I have anxiety and all of these symptoms and it is anxiety

@HiDaisy do you? I feel full quickly, nausea all the time, heartburn, bloated, upper stomach pain, chest pain, feel like I can't breathe properly

Op I have had lots of scans over the years and believe me any tiny bit that looks suspicious is checked. You have had what reads to be an extremely thorough scan and have excellent results.

Anxiety manifests a lot of physical symptoms and I can only urge you to seek help for it. Whenever I have a surgery coming up I get very anxious and feel sick, lose my appetite, poor sleep and feel generally very unwell.

Anxiety symptoms, as you've been told on every single thread you've started on this subject.

I've had health anxiety- that's what you've got, and you need help with it as it's no way to live. I'm now on citalopram and it's changed my life

You'll not make yourself feel any better with all these tests because even when you are satisfied that you don't have this particular illness, in a few days it will be something else.

Your symptoms are classical anxiety- it has an awful effect on your stomach and bowel. You are really young which means the chance of anything being seriously wrong is minute. And it also means that you've got a lot of life left to have this level of anxiety.

This scan result is fine. You can stop worrying about having stomach cancer, you don't have it. But please go and get some urgent help for your anxiety because you know I'm right and that next week you'll have focussed on something else.

Take care

You have got to get help or you’ll miss your entire life worrying about cancer.

My dh died of cancer, it’s pretty hard to miss cancer when it’s there.

Because believe it or not, not every symptom IS cancer.

I know I've just got it in my head that this is what it has to be

There's no point making threads about it then, you're gonna think what you're gonna think regardless.

I know somebody who recently had similar symptoms over a period of time. They were terrified waiting for the results. It turned out to be a bacterial infection. Serious, but now being treated with antibiotics and they are starting to feel better now.

Dr Google is not your friend. You can stub your toe and Google will find a way to link it to cancer. And we naturally zone in on the most serious thing we see in our search results.

Your anxiety in worry about what you are finding will likely be exacerbating your symptoms as well.

It is not a done deal OP. I hope you get some answers soon.

I'm saying this with great kindness OP - instead of fixating on things that are definitely not happening where there is no possibility of stomach cancer, why don't you spend some money on a private psychiatrist referral.

I bet s/he will diagnose you very quickly as suffering from anxiety manifesting as severe worry about cancer. There are drugs out there as mentioned by pp, Citalopram and others that are hugely successful in reducing anxiety and sorting this out.

I diagnose you right now as having hyper anxiety over cancer, but you don't have cancer itself.

Get the treatment for your mental health and your physical health will improve massively, honestly.

And finally - you don't have cancer, the tests proved that. So don't get back saying "are you sure, what about my symptoms, I need more scans, it has to be stomach cancer" because the illness is not in your stomach love, it's in your mind. Get that sorted and you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Best of luck.

It isn't. That feeling of 'I just know it' isn't intuition - it's anxiety

@quizzys I really hope you are right, thank you x

@DameKatyDenisesClagnuts do you think so?

There's a book called 'overcoming health anxiety' that you can buy. It explains why people with it feel compelled to Google symptoms and seek reassurance but why that's also the worst thing to do as it feeds and heightens the anxiety.

You really need some help with this OP . Life is passing you by while you are worrying about things that are not real. I've been there.

Previously worked in a relevant field.

Stomach cancer is highly unlikely given your age, symptoms and CT report. I've seen many, many patients have gastroscopies and could count on one hand the people I saw with stomach cancer. Gastric ulcers and/or gastritis being most common and the cause of similar symptoms. Have you been tested for H pylori?

I second that anxiety can cause all sorts of symptoms. If you feel the need for the reassurance; go ahead and have the ogd. This test also allows biopsies to be taken if needed.

Hope you get sorted

The OP is being treated by her GP for potential stomach ulcer/ gastritis.( previous thread running )

In answer to your question yes, a cancer would most likely have shown up on a CT abdomen. Please see your GP with the report and for reassurance. They can directly contact your local NHS Gastroenterology department if further advice is required, but given the report I think it is unlikely further investigation is needed. They are the best people to advise on this, not via a thread on a website where you are getting many different opinions which is not always helpful and may lead to further anxiety which is not going to help you.
Has your doctor gone down the route of IBS, gastric reflux, etc. with you ? From the symptoms you describe these are common for other issues and also made worse by stress and anxiety ! Keep calm if you can and I would urge you to make an appointment to talk to your primary carer (GP) so that they can refer you for secondary (hospital clinician) input IF it is required - but also take on board all those on this thread who understand/experience health anxiety and take their advice too. Your GP will know and understand that this is a very real issue which needs intervention by a professional.

Thank you everyone, @PigsinBlankets22 really? So you saw very few cases of stomach or oesophageal cancer? I'm so anxious it has fully taken over my life. I don't have a life, I just have.. this.

I sent the GP a message with the screenshot of the results and I just got a reply saying "your scan is normal" do you think I should message again and ask for more clarification?

I'm under the care of the crisis team at the moment, they are coming to see me at 12pm.

I even dreamt last night I had cancer and I had days to live. Like a really vivid, horrible dream.