About this topic
Cancer is abnormal cells that grow faster than other cells in your body. You may have taken chemotherapy or had surgery or radiation. You may have had more than one of these kinds of treatment. Talk to your cancer doctors to get a report of all the kinds of treatments and tests you have had. Some of these treatments can have effects months or years after your treatment ends. It is important to share this information with new doctors after your cancer care has ended. ‚
General
After your treatment is over, it is important that you continue to have regular health check-ups. At these visits, your doctor will: ‚
- Help you deal with your feelings after you have finished treatment.
- Care for problems that happen because of your treatment.
- Look for signs that may be bothering you or interfering with your everyday life.
- Talk about your diet, exercise, and health habits.
- Look for other cancers that might develop and talk about preventing cancers.
- Order follow-up tests.
Your cancer treatment may have long term effects in many parts of your body. These may have been caused by the cancer, the drugs, or other treatments you had. You may have: ‚
- Problems from surgery. This may include things like:
- Higher risk for infection if your spleen was removed
- Coping with changes if you had a body part removed
- Swelling if you had lymph nodes removed. This is called lymphedema.
- Heart or lung problems like:
- Congestive heart failure
- Chest pain
- Abnormal heart beat
- High blood pressure
- Breathing problems
- Hormone problems like:
- Not being able to have children
- Changes to how the thyroid gland works
- Early menopause
- Mental problems like:
- Low mood
- Body image changes
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling alone
- Other things like:
- Trouble with thinking, learning, or memory
- Hearing loss
- Bone problems or joint pain
- Trouble digesting food
- Tooth problems or dry mouth
Will there be any other care needed?
- Work with your cancer doctors to make a plan for how often you need to be seen after your treatment has ended. Talk about what tests you need to have and how often.
- Create a journal for your medical records and any events that you may need to share with others like your dentist or other doctors.
- List your treatments, side effects, and any problems you had.
- Keep a list of all of your doctors and their phone numbers. Then you will be able to find them easily when you need them.
- Keep a calendar. Then you can write down and plan your follow up appointments. You can also make notes to tell the doctor or write down tips the doctor tells you to help you keep a healthy lifestyle.
- You may still find it helpful to be a part of a support group. Many people have problems with feelings, tiredness, money, and more and find it helpful to talk with others about these things.
- Talk with your doctor right away if you have a low mood.
Where can I learn more?
American Cancer Society ‚
http://www.cancer.org/search/index?QueryText=late+effects&Page=1 ‚
American Society of Clinical Oncology ‚
http://www.cancer.net/survivorship/long-term-side-effects-cancer-treatment ‚
National Cancer Institute ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/life-after-treatment.pdf ‚
National Cancer Institute ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/survivorship/follow-up-care/follow-up-fact-sheet ‚
National Cancer Institute ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers/late-effects-pdq ‚
Last Reviewed Date
2015-11-06 ‚
List_set bdysylist
- Healthy Living
- Hematologic
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved. ‚