Medical Oncologist
Emotional support
Scanxiety during chemotherapy
Because a mid-treatment scan is the first real answer about whether any of this is working. The anxiety builds for a week beforehand, peaks while waiting, and settles afterwards whichever way the news goes. Most of the distress comes from the gap between scan and result, and that gap can often be shortened.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
Why is waiting for scan results so hard?
Because a mid-treatment scan is the first real answer about whether any of this is working, and for the days around it your whole future appears to rest on one report. Almost every patient describes it, the anxiety builds for a week or so beforehand, peaks while waiting for the result, and settles afterwards whichever way the news goes.
Most of the distress is caused by the gap rather than by the scan. A result that comes two hours after the images is a different experience from one that arrives after five days, a weekend and three unanswered phone calls. That gap is the part you can often do something about.
Fix the date and the result appointment together
Book both at once, as close together as possible, and not with a weekend in between. This single arrangement removes more anxiety than anything else on this page.
Ask who explains the result, and when
Never read a report you have collected yourself in a corridor. Reports contain words that sound catastrophic and mean something quite ordinary in context. Wait for your oncologist.
Take somebody with you to the result
Nobody hears the second half of that conversation properly. One person whose job is to write down what is said is worth more than any amount of preparation.
Ask what the scan is actually looking for. Patients frequently do not know, which makes the waiting worse.Before the scan
Six questions that make the wait shorter
- What is this scan looking for
- Whether it is checking the response to treatment, staging, or a specific symptom. Knowing the purpose narrows the waiting from everything to one question.
- When will the result be available, and who explains it
- Get both answers before you leave. The single largest source of distress is not knowing when you will hear and from whom.
- Can the result appointment be booked now
- Yes, wherever possible, and as soon after the scan as can be managed. Avoid a Friday scan with a Monday or Tuesday review if you have any choice.
- What happens if it shows a good response
- Does treatment continue unchanged, is the number of cycles altered, is surgery brought forward. Knowing what a good result would lead to makes it easier to hope for something specific.
- What happens if it does not
- The question patients most want to ask and least often do. There is almost always a next step, and hearing what it would be is usually less frightening than imagining there is none.
- What preparation is needed
- Fasting, contrast, medicines to hold or continue, how long it takes, and whether your kidney function needs checking first. Practical certainty reduces the dread of the day itself.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistPractical
Getting through the waiting days
Arrangement first, coping second.
Close the gap between scan and result
Book both appointments together, as close as possible, and avoid a weekend in the middle. Ask whether the report can be expedited if the wait would otherwise be long.
Ask at booking
- When exactly will I be told
- Who do I ring if I hear nothing
Do not read the report yourself
Radiology language is written for oncologists, and phrases in it sound far worse than they mean. Hand it over unopened if you have collected it, and wait for the explanation.
Fill the waiting days with ordinary things
Work, an outing, a visit, a film. Patients who clear their diary to wait describe the days as far worse than those who keep them occupied.
Avoid
- Searching for other people's results
- Discussing it with everybody who rings
Decide who you will tell, and when
Being asked about it by twenty relatives before you know anything is exhausting. Tell one person, and let them handle the rest until you have the result.
Take a note-taker to the appointment
Almost nobody hears the second half of the conversation. Somebody writing it down, and a list of your questions on paper, is what turns a result into something usable.
At the result appointment
Questions to have written down
- In plain words, what does the scan show
- How does that compare with the last one
- Does the treatment plan change
- How many cycles are left now
- Is surgery or radiotherapy now being considered
- When is the next scan, and what will it look for
- What should I report before then
- Can I have this in writing
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your scan will show, and it cannot tell you how to read one. Interpretation depends on the previous images, the type of cancer, the treatment given and the timing, which is precisely why the report goes to your oncologist rather than to you.
It also cannot promise that a good scan means the fear stops. Many patients find the anxiety returns before the next one. Knowing the pattern is predictable makes it easier to prepare for rather than to be ambushed by.
A mid-treatment scan is not the whole story
Response is judged on several things together, and changes on imaging can be difficult to interpret in the middle of a course. Ask your oncologist what it means alongside everything else rather than treating one line of a report as a verdict.
Do not compare your report with anybody else's
Different cancers, different drugs, different timing, different radiologists. Comparing scans with another patient reliably produces distress and no information.
Ask for the result even if it is bad
Patients sometimes avoid the appointment out of dread. Whatever the scan shows there is almost always a next step, and delay only narrows the options. Go, and take somebody with you.
What to do next
Book the scan and the result appointment together, as close as possible and not across a weekend. Ask what the scan is looking for and what each outcome would lead to. Do not read the report yourself. Take somebody to write down what is said, with your questions on paper.
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Commonly believed
Four things patients do while waiting
"I will read the report myself, I cannot wait."
Radiology reports are written for oncologists and contain phrases that sound catastrophic but mean something ordinary in context. Hand it over unopened and wait for the explanation.
"I should clear my diary until I know."
Patients who empty the waiting days describe them as considerably worse. Keep work, visits and ordinary plans in place; the days pass differently when they contain something.
"If the scan is good, the worry will be over."
For most people the anxiety returns before the next scan, which is ordinary rather than a bad sign. Knowing the pattern is predictable makes it possible to prepare for it.
"If it is bad news, I would rather not go to the appointment."
Whatever a scan shows there is almost always a next step, and delay narrows the options rather than protecting you. Go, take somebody with you, and have your questions written down.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about scan anxiety
Is it normal to be this anxious about a scan?
Almost universal. It builds for a week or so beforehand, peaks while waiting for the result, and settles afterwards whichever way the news goes. Most of the distress comes from the waiting gap.
How do I shorten the wait?
Book the scan and the result appointment together and as close as possible, and avoid a weekend in between. Ask who to ring if you hear nothing by the day you were promised.
Can I read the report myself?
Better not to. The language is written for oncologists and contains phrases that sound alarming but mean something ordinary in context. Hand it over unopened and wait for the explanation.
What should I ask before the scan?
What it is looking for, when the result will be available, who explains it, and what would follow from a good or a poor result. Knowing the purpose narrows the waiting to one question.
Should I take somebody to the result appointment?
Yes. Almost nobody hears the second half of that conversation. One person whose job is to write down what is said, plus your questions on paper, makes the difference.
What if the news is not good?
Ask what the next step is, because there is almost always one. Ask for it in writing, and ask what it would involve before deciding anything. Do not avoid the appointment.
Can I compare my scan with another patient's?
It tells you nothing useful. Different cancers, drugs, timings and reporting styles make the comparison meaningless, and it reliably produces distress.
The anxiety is unbearable. Is there help?
Yes. Tell your team, because this is a recognised reason for psycho-oncology support and there are approaches that specifically help. Ask before the next scan rather than after it.
Meet the Specialists
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Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Sources
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Your feelings and cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Coping emotionally with cancer
- National Cancer Institute — Feelings and Cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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