This study investigates the relationship between cognitive (risk perceptions) and affective (worry about getting cancer) determinants and the influence on health information seeking experiences/behaviors. Using the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), we found absolute risk perception and perceived comparative risk to be both positively associated with cancer worry; perceived comparative risk had a stronger effect on predicting worry than absolute risk did. In addition, higher levels of perceived absolute risk, comparative risk and cancer worry were associated with more negative experiences with information seeking efforts. Results showed that distinct constructs of risk perceptions (absolute and comparative) had significant indirect effects on worse information seeking experiences, as mediated by feelings of worry. Lastly, we found that worry predicted general health and cancer-specific information seeking behaviors whereas risk perceptions showed no significant effects. Findings highlight worry as an influential determinant of actions to search for health information. More importantly, findings suggest that worries can act as a double-edged sword: On the positive side, worry triggers active health information seeking, while on the negative side, it is associated with suboptimal experiences when individuals search for health information. Implications for health communication theory and practice are discussed.