Breast cancer health centre

Follow-up care after breast cancer treatment

When a course of breast cancer treatment finishes, that's not the end of medical care. Regular follow-ups are important in the short and long-term.

This includes screening to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned. As well as taking care of your overall health.

Breast cancer follow-up care

Once breast cancer treatment has ended, follow-up care is very important.

• Keep in touch with your oncologist and surgeon and attend follow-up appointments as advised. Your appointment schedule will depend on your specific diagnosis.
• You should also continue to have regular mammograms, even if a mastectomy was done.
• Routine chest X-rays and blood tests in women who have no symptoms are not always reliable ways to check for the spread of breast cancer. They are not generally recommended.
• Between medical visits, watch for any changes in your body. Most recurrences happen within five years of when the cancer was first treated.
• Women taking tamoxifen should be aware of and report any changes in uterine bleeding. They should also visit their oncologist regularly as advised.
• Coordinate any additional visits to gynaecologists or primary care doctors with routine visits to your oncologist.
• Take care of your emotional and physical well-being. Make this a priority in your life.
• Avoid the tendency to compare your treatment plan and outcome with other breast cancer patients. Every diagnosis is a little different.

Make sure you remain breast aware after breast cancer treatment. Watch for symptoms such as:

• Changes in your breasts, including new lumps
• Bone pain or tenderness that does not go away
• Skin rashes, redness, or swelling
• New lumps in your breast or chest
• Shortness of breath or chest pain
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Weight loss.