HER2 Support Group Forums - Guide for follow up care by Ribbon of Pink/Novartis

I thought this might interest some as it seems this is a never ending question when one is lucky enough to ACTUALLY GET DONE WITH TREATMENT!!!

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Managing Maintenance: Your Guide to Follow-Up Care

Your guide to breast cancer follow-up care

You've made it through initial treatment for breast cancer—congratulations! While you're undoubtedly both happy and relieved to have reached this point, you may also find yourself feeling apprehensive about the future and fearful of recurrence. Such concerns--worrying that the cancer will return, wondering what to expect now that treatment is over, and wanting to ensure that you are getting the best follow-up care possible—are shared by many women who have survived breast cancer. A good way to deal with these fears, experts say, is to get involved in decisions about your future medical care and lifestyle by becoming an active partner with your doctors and other members of your health care team.<SUP>1</SUP>

The purpose of follow-up care

As a patient of breast cancer, your risk of developing a new breast cancer is increased compared with someone who has never had breast cancer before.<SUP>2</SUP> The main purposes of follow-up care are to check if your cancer has returned or spread to another part of the body, screen for other types of cancer, and detect treatment side effects, which may not show up until several years after treatment has ended.<SUP>3</SUP>

Recommendations for follow-up care

After completing breast cancer treatment, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends a physical examination--performed by a doctor--every 4 to 6 months for 5 years. During your first follow-up visit, you should ask your health care provider about the tests you'll need and how often you'll need them, any side effects you may have from your cancer treatment and what you can do about them, warning signs of cancer recurrence and what you should do if you see them.

To get the most from your follow-up visits, here are some tips from the National Cancer Institute:

ask your most important questions first in case the doctor runs out of time.
repeat in your own words what you think the doctor meant.
bring a friend or family member with you to your appointment; he or she can help you think about and understand what was said.
bring a notebook or tape recorder to take notes during the appointment.
ask for booklets or other materials to read at home.
keep your own set of follow-up care records.

Be an active partner in your follow-up care

Open communication with your health care provider is an important part of your follow-up care. If your health care provider uses terms that you don't understand, ask him or her to explain what these terms mean.

Of course, good communication is a two-way street: in order to best manage your care, your healthcare provider also needs information from you. At each follow-up visit, you should tell your health care provider about any symptoms that could indicate cancer recurrence, any other health problems you may be experiencing, any changes in your family medical history, and any physical problems --such as fatigue, trouble sleeping, loss of sex drive, or weight loss or gain—you may be having. You should also tell your doctor about any and all medicines, vitamins or herbs you are taking and/or any other treatments you may be using.<SUP>4</SUP>

You may feel embarrassed bringing up certain topics with your health care provider, but it's important to realize that your doctor can't treat a problem that he or she doesn't even know about! Be honest—if a certain subject embarrasses you, tell your healthcare provider so he or she will understand that discussing it is difficult for you. Also, remember your doctor is a trained professional who has treated many patients: whatever "embarrassing" information you have to disclose, it's likely that he or she has heard it before and will respond with understanding and possible solutions. Try to find a doctor that attempts to address your needs, answers your questions or directs you to the right resources.

This news service and the information presented in it have been developed and created through a content collaboration between Novartis Oncology and VerusMed, An Evolution of Faxwatch™.

References:
<SUP>1</SUP> http://www.komen.org/intradoc-cgi/id...ocName=3-6-2-1
<SUP>2</SUP> http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-00...ype_id=&state=
<SUP>3</SUP> http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/...atment/page2#6
<SUP>4</SUP> http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_d...JC&sub_cat=411

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