Follow up after breast cancer treatment
After treatment for breast cancer, you usually have regular check ups at the hospital. This is to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or concerns. Over time, these appointments become less frequent.
Why you might have follow up appointments
At each follow up your doctor or nurse checks how you are coping with any ongoing treatment for example, hormone therapy.
Your healthcare team can give you information and support to help you cope. Your appointments are also a good opportunity to raise any concerns and ask questions that you might have.
How often are my check ups?
How often you have check ups depends on a number of factors. These include:
- how you are feeling
- the type of treatment you have had
- whether you are still having treatment such as hormone therapy
- on your hospital or clinic
Ask your doctor or specialist nurse how often your follow up appointments are likely to be. You may have regular check ups for at least 5 years.
Supported self management or patient initiated follow up (PIFU)
Some hospitals have a system of follow ups where you don't have regular appointments. In this system, you might have regular phone calls with your breast specialist nurse. You can also contact them and arrange an appointment if you have any new symptoms or are worried about anything.
You are usually discharged from the follow up after 5 years. This means that your GP will take over your care.
What happens?
Your doctor or nurse specialist ask how you are feeling and whether you have had any symptoms or side effects. Tell them if you are worried about anything.
If you are seen at the hospital, your doctor or nurse might examine you. You might also see physiotherapists and dietitians during the check ups. You can arrange to see them with your doctor or nurse at the outpatient clinic.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines say that everyone who has had treatment for breast cancer should have a copy of a written care plan.
The care plan has information about:
- the tests you need such as mammograms
- signs and symptoms to look out for and who to speak to if you notice any changes
- contact details for specialist staff, such as your breast care nurse
- details of support services who can help with problems such as arm swelling (lymphoedema)
- information about treatment you may be taking, for example hormone therapy
What tests will I have?
You usually have a mammogram every year, for at least 5 years, after treatment for breast cancer.
Women under 50 years
You have mammograms every year until you are invited for routine breast screening. This is around the age of 50.
Women over 50 years
You have mammograms every year for 5 years. After 5 years, you have a mammogram every 3 years as part of the National Screening Programme.
Mammograms after having a mastectomy
You have a mammogram of the opposite breast if you’ve had a
NHS Breast Screening Programme
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 for screening every 3 years. After the age of 70, you can arrange your own regular mammograms by contacting your local screening service.
You are not routinely offered other tests to follow up breast cancer unless you have symptoms or are feeling unwell.
Some women may have a
Between appointments
Contact your doctor or specialist nurse if you have any concerns between appointments. You should also contact them if you notice any new symptoms. You don’t have to wait until your next visit.
How you might feel?
Coming to the end of treatment is a milestone for many. But you can have mixed feelings about this, particularly as you’ve had regular contact with your healthcare team and it’s now less frequent.
Some people also find their check ups quite worrying. A hospital appointment can bring back any anxiety you had about your cancer.
It can help to tell someone close to you how you’re feeling. Sharing your worries can mean they don’t seem so overwhelming. Many people find it helpful to have counselling during or after cancer treatment.
You can also find people to share experiences with by using our online forum, Cancer Chat.
Life after cancer
In this video Yvonne shares her story of life after breast cancer and how she coped when her treatment finished. She talks about some of the physical effects of the cancer and its treatment and what helped her through.
She and her sister Sonia also talk about what it was like going to check up appointments, something that is not always easy. Coping after treatment finishes can be challenging and hearing about how other people cope can help.
Yvonne: My name is Yvonne Pickford. I live in Birmingham and I’ve had breast cancer.
Sonia: Yvonne having breast cancer I feel has tightened the bond between us as sisters.
Yvonne: She helped me to stay strong and it was nice to have her there as my crutch
Sonia: When Yvonne informed me that her treatment was successful it took a while to sink in but then I thought, yes.
Yvonne: It is something that you just want to shout from the rooftop. I did it. And at the same time a little bit frightened of what do I do now. Where do I go now?
Because I was feeling uncertain, because I was feeling low, I decided to go to counselling.
The words of wisdom would not necessarily come from the councillors and psychologists that were there, they would come from the other group members.
It was nice to have people to talk to that had been on the journey and I found that it helped immensely. Definitely worth it.
I still had yearly check-ups which was a bit of a rollercoaster leading up to them.
Sonia: there was always that anticipation, fear as to what the outcome of the appointment was going to be.
Yvonne: But as time went on it became easier it became part of our normal you know, routine.
I still had a lot of fatigue, one breast was smaller than the other, I still had the scars. And also my treatment pushed me through early menopause which I was not ready for.
Sonia: These hot flushes that she would have became her tropical moments.
Yvonne: One of the things that I felt helped was to go back to my exercising. It lifts you. It just makes you be more positive.
Sonia: Having cancer was traumatic for Yvonne but it was also a wakeup call for the whole family. We appreciate all of the times that we have together.
Yvonne: Life is wonderful, life is good. You know, you’ve been through so much and you’re a stronger person for it. You have a different zest for life and you just love it.