Although your cancer treatment has ended, you will still have to cope with how it affects your body. It can take time to get over the side effects of the treatment.
Knowing what to expect after cancer treatment can help you and your family make plans, lifestyle changes and other important decisions.
What’s next after cancer treatment
1. Check your diet
It is important to observe healthy eating habits after your cancer treatment. A healthy diet can help you manage cancer side effects, recover quicker, maintain a healthy body weight, maintain strength, keep body tissue healthy and improve health.
It may also lower your future risk of recurrence of cancer.
2. Go for regular check up
Follow-up care is important because it helps to identify changes in your health. The purpose of follow-up care is to check for recurrence (the return of cancer in the primary site) or metastasis (the spread of cancer to another part of the body).
Your follow-up care plan depends on the type of cancer and type of treatment you had, along with your overall health.
For example, a person who received a medication that may affect his or her bone density needs to understand that it is important to monitor bone health and take appropriate steps to prevent significant bone loss.
3. Join a support group
A is a support group is a very helpful resource. It allows survivors to share experiences and advice and receive support from individuals who are outside their circle of family or friends.
Sharing with others who have similar experiences may help you cope.
4. Get enough rest
It is common for patients to experience fatigue, difficulty sleeping, problems with memory, persistent pain or tingling from neuropathy, and emotional distress.
By getting adequate sleep, it improves your health, coping ability, mood, weight control, memory and attention.
Reducing your stress level can help you maintain your physical and mental health
5. Dealing with side effects
As a breast cancer survivor, you may have had your entire breast removed as part of the treatment. Bone cancer that that are very large or located in a complicated point on the bone may require surgery to remove all or part of a limb (amputation).
Certain types of stomach cancer may require surgery for the removal of the entire colon, such surgery creates a small opening on the surface of the abdomen in order to divert the flow of faeces or urine from the bowel or bladder.
The waste is then collected instead in a stoma bag, which is a pouch made from a soft, waterproof material
Some patients may also suffer from poor body image or low self-esteem because of such treatments and they often need help to learn to accept their new body.
Take action!
Do you or your loved one need to travel to India or any other overseas destination for cancer treatment, knee or hip replacement, liver or kidney transplant or weight loss surgery, cosmetic procedures and reconstructive surgery?
Beyond Borders Medtours is a medical tourism company that will facilitate your medical travel needs, matching you with the best hospitals in India and other destinations for the best healthcare. Get there faster, easier and better prepared.
Contact us on (+254) 0711 104 458, e-mail, send message or get free quote
A representative will get back to you with more information as soon as possible.