Follow-Up Care for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among urban Indian females, and the second most common among the rural Indian women. After you have been diagnosed with primary breast cancer, your specialist team will discuss your treatment options with you and their possible side effects.

Your cancer care does not end when the active cancer treatment has finished. After treatment for breast cancer, follow-up care is important to help maintain good health, manage any side effects from treatment, watch for signs of a relapse, and screen for other types of cancer. Your health care team will continue to check on the cancer relapse, manage any side effects, and monitor your overall health.

This is also a good time to talk with your doctor about who will lead your follow-up care. You and your doctor should work together to develop a personalized follow-up care plan which may include regular physical examinations and other medical tests to monitor your recovery during the coming months and years.

Be sure to ask about any concerns you have about your future physical or emotional health. Some survivors continue to see their oncologist, while others transition back to the care of their family doctor or another health care professional. This decision depends on several factors, including the stage of cancer, side effects, health insurance rules, and your personal preferences.

If the doctor handling your follow-up care is not the one who was a part of your treatment, make sure to share your cancer treatment summary and experiences with her / him and with all future health care providers. Details about your cancer treatment are very valuable to the health care professionals who will care for you throughout your lifetime.