Cancer Patients Follow-up

Cancer patients need to be followed at regular intervals after they have completed chemotherapy or radiation treatment.  The follow-up clinic is of great importance in monitoring the health status of survivors and investigating their possible health issues.

Monitoring the health status of cancer patients is the most important specialty of the follow-up clinic. In the programs designed for this purpose, not only the treatment status of the patients is evaluated, but also the occurrence of new cases of cancer in the opposite breast or other parts of the body is checked. On the other hand, one of the most important goals of this work is spiritual and social support for the patient and their family members.

How is the follow-up done?

• In asymptomatic patients, careful clinical examination and history records should be done every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years and then annually, along with annual mammography.

However, breast self-examination is also done monthly by the patient. Clinical examination includes examination of the surgical site, examination of the opposite breast and regional lymph nodes, examination of bones, lungs, liver and nervous system. In patients who take tamoxifen, examination of the uterus and pelvis and annual pap smear are mandatory.

• In symptomatic patients, in addition to the above examinations, one should focus on the part with symptoms and use the appropriate diagnostic methods for that part, and if the problem of that part is evident, the appropriate treatment should be started immediately.