Nothing to fear? Facing the challenge of fear of cancer recurrence
Welcome to the latest Series of Supportive Care Matters, a podcast hosted by Medical Oncologist and International Cancer Survivorship Expert, Professor Bogda Koczwara AM.
The fear of cancer returning is a silent struggle for many survivors, often overshadowing their recovery. In Episode 1 of this new Series, Bogda explores this deep-seated anxiety with experts Professor Sophie Lebel and Associate Professor Ben Smith.
They unpack the realities of recurrence fears — why they persist, who is most affected and how they impact daily life. Research shows nearly every cancer survivor experiences some level of worry, but for 40%, it becomes a significant source of distress. Caregivers, too, often share in this burden.
Sophie and Ben highlight the need for better interventions, especially for underrepresented groups, and share practical strategies for managing fear in clinical settings.
From open conversations to structured support pathways, they highlight ways to help survivors move forward with confidence. Join us for an insightful discussion on breaking the cycle of fear and fostering a more supportive, hopeful survivorship journey.
This conversation is proudly produced by the Podcast Team at The Oncology Podcast, part of the Oncology Media Group Australia.
Host:
Bogda Koczwara AM
Professor Bogda Koczwara AM
Professor Bogda Koczwara AM is a medical oncologist and a senior staff specialist at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer in Adelaide, Australia.
Professor Koczwara completed her oncology training at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, USA, and received a Master in Bioethics degree from Monash University, Australia.
Her clinical interests revolve around management of breast cancer, cancer survivorship, psycho-oncology and supportive care as well as health services development, integration with primary care and cancer education for health care professionals.
Connect with Bogda on Twitter: @bogda_koczwara
Guests:
Professor Sophie Lebel
Dr. Sophie Lebel is a clinical psychologist and a professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on cancer survivorship and psychosocial interventions. Her expertise is on managing fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and this year she won the Bernie Fox Memorial award from IPOS in recognition of her work in this area. Over the past 15 years, she has been working on an FCR intervention called FORT, a group intervention for survivors that has been tested through clinical trials and is currently being culturally adapted in several countries. She is currently developing and testing FORT adaptations for caregivers and parents of pediatric cancer survivors. With funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, she is implementing FORT in 5 different Canadian oncology centers. She has held several leadership positions, including Chair of the Research Advisory Committee of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, Lead of the practice guidelines on the management of fear of cancer recurrence for Ontario Health, and co-director of the clinical psychology program at the University of Ottawa. Clinically, she works with cancer survivors and their loved ones across all phases of the disease trajectory.
Associate Professor Ben Smith
Associate Professor Ben Smith is a Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellow and Senior Implementation Scientist, at the Daffodil Centre, Cancer Council NSW and University of Sydney.
Ben has 10+ years of research experience focused on ensuring equitable access to high quality evidence-based cancer care for all people living with and beyond cancer. He is currently leading the development and implementation of a culturally sensitive clinical pathway for fear of cancer recurrence.
