The diagnosis may not be instantaneous. During this period, fears generally remain and often grow, and this period can be very stressful. Regardless of how well-prepared a woman may think she is for a diagnosis of breast cancer, the actual confirmation, if there is one, is generally very upsetting.
Patients usually respond to the news by being shocked, terrified, numb, panicky or stunned.
Such a reaction is normal. Once one moves beyond their initial reaction, questions of treatment and coping with the future replace shock and denial. One's fears and fantasies about this disease can become more disturbing than the facts, and can impact upon the woman's psychological response to the diagnosis. The stress of this situation can cause a woman to not hear all the doctor is saying and in turn reduce her understanding. Simply being in a doctor's office can be stressful.