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• Future cancer care recommendations you work with your oncology team and primary care
including prevention methods and a schedule provider to address the medical, emotional and so-
for ongoing screening tests cial challenges that may arise after cancer treatment is
• Future cancer care provider recommend- completed. By answering some questions related to
ations for follow-up care including names, your cancer treatment, you will receive information
specialties and contact information about your follow-up care. The information includes
symptoms to watch for in the future and steps you
STEP 3 — GET A HEALTH can take to stay healthy. You can find the OncoLife
CARE FOLLOW-UP PLAN. Survivorship Care Plan at https://www.oncolink.org/
oncolife/.
When treatment is done, your health care provider
should provide you with a health care follow-up STEP 4 — GET INFORMATION FROM
plan. This plan tells you what you need to do to stay YOUR HEALTH CARE TEAM TO
physically and emotionally healthy. Your follow-up HANDLE YOUR CONCERNS.
plan should include the specific types of health care
you will need in the near and distant future. Life after cancer treatment can be different. Your life
might have changed in many ways. You may have
A health care follow-up plan should tell you: developed a strong interest in making even more
• What needs to be done in terms of future changes in your life.
health care Talk with your health care providers about spe-
• When it needs to happen cific areas of concern in your life. You may have med-
• Where you can get help including referrals ical questions, relationship issues and day-to-day
concerns. Your provider or other members of your
to providers health care team can help you find answers. Talk
with them as you work to develop your health care
Include the following information in your health follow-up plan.
care follow-up plan:
Here are examples of questions that you may
• Possible late and long-term effects of have about life after cancer treatment:
treatment including symptoms
• Signs and symptoms of cancer recurrence Medical Concerns
and other types of cancers Ask your oncology providers questions
• Information about social and emotional about medical concerns such as:
support including support groups and
counseling resources • Can the cancer come back?
• Recommendations for healthy living including • Could a new type of cancer develop?
information about risks and prevention • What are symptoms and signs of recur-
• Recommended schedule for medical tests, rence or new cancer?
cancer screening and specific types of exams • What aftereffects of treatment
• Referrals to specific health care providers for are possible?
follow-up care • How can aftereffects be treated?
• Contact information for nonprofit cancer • What can I do to stay healthy and prevent
services and other resources future health problems?
• Will I need ongoing therapies such as
The The OncoLife Survivorship Care Plan was physical therapy?
created to help you develop a personalized plan for • Will you provide a schedule for follow-up
post-treatment care. It is a free online tool to help exam, screening and other medical tests?
“It begins to be about how you redefine yourself as a person, —AMY D.
drawing on all those things that you have experienced ... making
yourself into the new person that you want to be.”
www.LIVESTRONG.org/WeCanHelp A F T E R T R E AT M E N T 125