Life after treatment

Once your treatment has finished, you will have regular check-ups to confirm that the cancer hasn’t come back. Ongoing surveillance for ACC involves a schedule of ongoing blood tests and scans. Let your doctor know immediately of any health problems between visits.

Learn more about:

• Overview
• Looking after yourself
• Practical and financial support
• If the cancer comes back

Overview

Some cancer centres work with patients to develop a “survivorship care plan” which includes a summary of your treatment, sets out a schedule for follow-up care, lists any symptoms and long-term side effects to watch out for, identifies any medical or emotional problems that may develop and suggests ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Maintaining a healthy body weight, eating well and being active are all important. If you don’t have a care plan ask your specialist for one and make sure a copy is given to your GP and other health care providers.

For more on this, see Living well after cancer or call Cancer Council 13 11 20.

Looking after yourself

There is no right way to feel if you have been diagnosed with a cancer such as ACC. Feeling a range of emotions is normal and you may feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, angry, sad or lonely. Many people need emotional support before, during and after treatment. Adjusting to living with visible scars, changes to your physical appearance, changes to your lifestyle and bodily function can be hard and take time. If this is affecting you or likely to affect you, it’s important to seek help.

It can help to talk things through with a counsellor, psychologist, friend or family member. Talk to your medical team or call Cancer Council 13 11 20 about what support services are available.

For more on this, see Emotions and cancer.

Practical and financial support

There are many services that can help you manage with practical or financial issues caused by ACC. Benefits, pensions and hardship programs can help pay for prescription medicines (for example the Australian Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme [PBS]), transport costs or utility bills. Ask the hospital social worker which services are available in your local area and if you are eligible to receive them.

For additional income, you may be able to access your superannuation early in some circumstances, or claim on insurance policies such as income protection, trauma, and total and permanent disability. Managing your ability to work or study, particularly during cancer treatment, is important to consider and will depend on your personal situation.

For more on this, see Cancer and your finances and Cancer, work and you.

If the cancer comes back

For some people ACC does come back after treatment, which is known as a recurrence. It may also spread to other parts of the body after a couple of years. If the cancer does come back, treatment will depend on where the cancer has returned to in your body and may include a mix of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

In some cases of advanced cancer, treatment will focus on managing symptoms, such as pain, and improving your quality of life without trying to cure the disease. This is called palliative treatment. Palliative care can be provided in the home, in a hospital, in a palliative care unit or hospice, or in a residential aged care facility.

When cancer is no longer responding to active treatment, it can be difficult to think about how and where you want to be cared for towards the end of life. But it’s essential to talk about what you want with your family and health professionals, so they know what is important to you. Your palliative care team can support you in having these conversations.

For more on this, see Palliative care, Living with advanced cancer and Facing end of life or call 13 11 20.