Cancer health centre

Life after cancer

By Jenny Scott
Boots Feature

Medically Reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks

So you've reached the conclusion of your cancer treatment, but, as a cancer survivor, you may feel you have a completely different set of challenges to face.

You may be recovering from surgery after cancer: for example, after breast cancer treatment or bowel cancer. You may have a lot to get used to: whether those are changes in your physical appearance or in your general outlook on life.

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Cancer patients: What next?

"People may see the final treatment for cancer as the finishing line when in fact that's the start of what we call 'survivorship' - the start of the rest of their life," says John Newlands, a Macmillan cancer information nurse.

"It's a kind of 'getting back to normal' - only 'normal' is very different now. There can be a lot of barriers in the way and some things can be quite problematic."

Life after cancer: Where to start?

Once the main part of your treatment for cancer is over, your friends and family may think it's time to celebrate.

To some extent that's true - and it's certainly what people expect to feel as they approach the end of their cancer treatment.

But you may feel your life isn't settling down to exactly as it was before the diagnosis.

"When people reach the end of their cancer treatment, it can leave people with mixed feelings," says Newlands. "They can feel grateful for having had cancer treatment but, at the same time, they can feel a sense of loss due to body changes or work issues."