Key takeaways
- One of the key challenges at the end of cancer treatment can be adjusting to less frequent contact with your cancer team
- Fear of cancer coming back, anxiety about appointments, and concerns about the impact on relationships, are common at this time
- Ongoing treatment side-effects can be challenging; it’s important to know who in your team to contact, and when, to help manage them
- You may experience lifestyle and wellbeing challenges, as you work out what being physically active and eating healthily means for you
Common challenges people face at the end of their initial period of cancer treatment often includes adjusting to less frequent contact with the cancer team. It’s also a time of recognising and responding to challenging thoughts and feelings, managing treatment side-effects, and lifestyle and wellbeing changes. In this article, one of our cancer nurse specialists looks at each of these challenges in detail and shares advice for managing it.
Challenge 1: Less contact with your cancer team
People often say that one of the greatest challenges they experience at the end of treatment is adjusting from carefully coordinated, frequent contact with their cancer team, to less frequent contact. This change can generate feelings of fear and uncertainty. It’s important that you fully understand your planned follow-up and where to look for support. Discuss and agree who in your cancer team you should be contacting, as well as how and when. We’ll talk more about this later in the plan.
Challenge 2: Recognising and responding to challenging thoughts and feelings
During this phase, you might find that new thoughts, feelings and emotions might arise. Fear of cancer spreading or coming back can be a real challenge for many people, as can feelings of anxiety about ongoing follow-up appointments and scans. Concern about the impact of our feelings and emotions on relationships is also common at this time. We’ll look at this in more detail as we move through the plan.
Challenge 3: Managing treatment side effects
Treatment side-effects like fatigue, changes to memory and concentration, nausea and appetite changes can all present challenges. An important part of your transition to follow-up will be knowing who in your cancer team to contact, and when. You may have concerns about treatment side-effects you may be experiencing. We’ll explore this in your plan and ask you about your experience with some of the most common side-effects so we can offer advice that really helps.
Challenge 4: Lifestyle and wellbeing challenges
You may experience lifestyle and wellbeing challenges at this time, as you work out what being physically active and eating healthily means for you. Since your cancer treatment, you may have lost trust in your body or lost confidence in your ability to make healthy choices. You might even feel anxious about your ability to make long-term changes. This programme will help you to understand and consider how to respond to these challenges.
While we have ensured that every article is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our healthcare professionals or your primary healthcare team.