Questions to ask?

Hello Summer77,

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community.

My name is Carole and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

Finishing treatment for cancer is often an emotional time.

It’s common to worry about the cancer coming back, and coping with uncertainty can be difficult to begin with.

This worry usually gets better over time, but there are things that can help you to cope.

Having a good follow-up care plan in place, can help.

The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines say that everyone who has had treatment for breast cancer should have a copy of a written care plan.

This will contain information about how you should be followed up.

In addition to this, some hospitals use a Holistic Needs Assessment throughout treatment, and some provide a treatment summary. These, along with the care plan are sometimes called a Recovery Package. This can also include a review at your GP surgery.

At the end of treatment, your hospital team will talk to you about what to expect and what your follow-up is likely to involve.

If you are worried about what they recommend, you should let them know.

They may arrange to see you at clinic on a regular basis, however they’d expect you to contact them if you have any concerns between appointments.

Other hospitals have a system of follow up, called supported self-management or patient initiated follow up.

Before your appointment, you might find it helpful to talk to other people who have been in a similar situation.

Our online triple negative breast cancer forum can be a good place to share experiences and get support.

And if you’d like to talk to one of the nurses on the Support Line about your follow-up, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Sending best wishes,

Carole

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

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