Moving On After Treatment

Completing treatment can be both stressful and exciting. You will be relieved to finish treatment, yet it is hard not to worry about cancer coming back. (When cancer returns, it is called recurrence.) This is a very common concern among those who have had cancer.
It may take a while before your confidence in your own recovery begins to feel real and your fears are somewhat relieved. You can learn more about what to look for and how to learn to live with the possibility of cancer coming back in the American Cancer Society document, Living with Uncertainty: The Fear of Cancer Recurrence, available at 1-800-ACS-2345.
Follow-up Care
After your treatment is over, it is very important to keep all follow-up appointments. During these visits, your doctors will ask about symptoms, do physical exams, and order blood tests or imaging studies such as CT scans or x-rays. Follow-up is needed to check for cancer recurrence or spread, as well as possible side effects of certain treatments. This is the time for you to ask your health care team any questions you need answered and to discuss any concerns you might have.
Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some may last for a few weeks to several months, but others can be permanent. Don’t hesitate to tell your cancer care team about any symptoms or side effects that bother you so they can help you manage them.
It is also important to keep medical insurance. Even though no one wants to think of their cancer coming back, it is always a possibility. If it happens, the last thing you want is to have to worry about paying for treatment. Should your cancer come back the American Cancer Society document, When Your Cancer Comes Back: Cancer Recurrence, gives you information on how to manage and cope with this phase of your treatment. You can get this document by calling 1-800-ACS-2345.
Seeing a New Doctor
At some point after your cancer diagnosis and treatment, you may find yourself in the office of a new doctor. Your original doctor may have moved or retired, or you may have moved or changed doctors for some reason. It is important that you be able to give your new doctor the exact details of your diagnosis and treatment. Make sure you have the following information handy:
a copy of your pathology report from any biopsy or surgery
if you had surgery, a copy of your operative report
if you were hospitalized, a copy of the discharge summary that every doctor must prepare when patients are sent home from the hospital
finally, since some cancer-treatment drugs can have long-term side effects, a list of your drugs, drug doses, and when you took them
Lifestyle Changes to Consider During and After Treatment
Having cancer and dealing with treatment can be time-consuming and emotionally draining, but it can also be a time to look at your life in new ways. Maybe you are thinking about how to improve your health over the long-term.
Make Healthier Choices
Think about your life before you learned you had cancer. Were there things you did that might have made you less healthy? Maybe you drank too much alcohol, or ate more than you needed, or smoked, or didn’t exercise very often.
Now is not the time to feel guilty or to blame yourself. However, you can start making changes today that can have positive effects for the rest of your life. Not only will you feel better but you will also be healthier.
You can start by working on those things that you feel most concerned about. Get help with those that are harder for you. For instance, if you are thinking about quitting smoking and need help, call the American Cancer Society’s Quitline® tobacco cessation program at 1-800-ACS-2345.
Diet and Nutrition
Eating right can be a challenge for anyone, but it can get even tougher during and after cancer treatment. If you are still in treatment and are having eating problems related to your treatment, please ask for a copy of our Nutrition for the Person with Cancer.
One of the best things you can do after treatment is to put healthy eating habits into place. You will be surprised at the long-term benefits of some simple changes, like increasing the variety of healthy foods you eat. Try to eat 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Choose whole grain foods instead of white flour and sugars. Try to limit meats that are high in fat. Cut back on processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, and bacon. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to 1 or 2 drinks a day at the most. And don't forget to get some type of regular exercise. The combination of a good diet and regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight and keep you feeling more energetic.
Rest, Fatigue, Work, and Exercise
Fatigue is a very common symptom in people being treated for cancer. This is often not an ordinary type of tiredness but a “bone-weary” exhaustion that doesn’t get better with rest. For some, this fatigue lasts a long time after treatment, and can discourage them from physical activity. However, exercise can actually help you reduce fatigue.
If you are ill and need to be on bed rest during treatment, it is normal to expect your fitness, endurance, and muscle strength to decline some. Physical therapy can help you maintain strength and range of motion in your muscles, which can help fight fatigue and the sense of depression that sometimes comes with feeling so tired.
Any program of physical activity should fit your own situation. Talk with your health care team before starting, and get their opinion about your exercise plans. Then, try to get an exercise buddy so that you’re not doing it alone.
If you are very tired, though, you will need to balance activity with rest. It is okay to rest when you need to.(For more information about fatigue, please see the publication Cancer Related Fatigue and Anemia Treatment Guidelines for Patients.
Exercise can improve your physical and emotional health.
It improves your cardiovascular (heart and circulation) fitness.
It strengthens your muscles.
It reduces fatigue.
It lowers anxiety and depression.
It makes you feel generally happier.
It helps you feel better about yourself.
And long term, we know that exercise plays a role in preventing some cancers. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults take part in at least one physical activity for 30 minutes or more on 5 days or more of the week. Children and teens are encouraged to try for at least 60 minutes a day of energetic physical activity on at least 5 days a week.
How About Your Emotional Health?
Once your treatment ends, you may find yourself overwhelmed by emotions. This happens to a lot of people. You may find that you think about the effect of your cancer on your family, friends, and career. You may also begin to re-evaluate your relationship with your spouse or partner. Unexpected issues may also cause concern -- for instance, as you become healthier and have fewer doctor visits, you will see your health care team less often. That can be a source of anxiety for some.
This is an ideal time to seek out emotional and social support. You need people you can turn to for strength and comfort. Support can come in many forms: family, friends, cancer support groups, church or spiritual groups, online support communities, or individual counselors.
The cancer journey can feel very lonely. It is not necessary or realistic to go it all by yourself. And your friends and family may feel shut out if you decide not include them. Let them in -- and let in anyone else who you feel may help. If you aren’t sure who can help, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 and we can put you in touch with an appropriate group or resource.
You can’t change the fact that you have had cancer. What you can change is how you live the rest of your life -- making healthy choices and feeling as well as possible, physically and emotionally.