Fear of future illness, chemical AIDS, and cancerphobia: a review.

A review of the literature indicates that fear of future illness shares many characteristics with a wide variety of conditions. Concepts such as hypochondriasis, adjustment disorders, generalized anxiety, and mass hysteria must be considered. Also, factors such as reporting bias, influential others, collective behavior, political groups, and litigation appear to induce symptom reporting from patients complaining of fear of illness and cancerphobia. Cancerphobia may result in impairment ranging from avoidance behaviors to cognitive dysfunctions. Various treatment modalities have been used successfully in treating cancerphobia, and the prognosis is typically good. Complaints of chemical AIDS, universal allergy, or twentieth century disease have little medical or empirical support and require further investigation. Researchers and clinicians must recognize multiple factors contribute to fear of future illness or cancerphobic complaints, and additional research must be undertaken if a thorough understanding of fear of future illness, cancerphobia, and perceptions of chemical AIDS is to be obtained.