Content Overview
- Summary
- Prepare For Follow-Up Visits With Your Doctors
- How To Deal With Ongoing Or New Symptoms
- Consider Hormonal Therapies
- Get And Comply With A Breast Cancer Follow-up Plan. Share It With All Your Doctors.
- Comply With Drug Regimens
- Choose, Buy, Store, And Live With Drugs And Supplements Wisely
- Think About Gene Testing
- Take Care Of Your Mouth
- If You Are Overweight, Lose The Extra Weight
- Consider Complementary Treatments
- Think About What To Do In Event Of A Medical Emergency
Breast Cancer: Post Treatment: 6 Months Plus: Medical Care
How To Deal With Ongoing Or New Symptoms
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It is possible that the physical and mental effects of chemotherapy or radiation will continue for quite a while - or new symptoms may show up. For example:
- If you had radiation or chemotherapy, fatigue may persist.
- Depression may be ongoing or recurrent. The severity, and how long they continue, varies from person to person.
- You may even experience post traumatic stress disorder or peripheral neuropathy (a tingling or pain in your hands or feet).
- If you had chemotherapy, it is not unusual for a reaction known as "chemo brain" to continue or even to show up after treatment ends.
- If you had radiation, a condition known as “radiation recall” may appear.
Continue the techniques that worked to combat side effects during treatment. If they' stop being effective, consider using other methods. They are described in:
If any lingering effects interfere with your life or seem severe, contact your cancer doctor or other health care provider.
NOTE:
- Report changes or new symptoms to your doctor.
- If you experience fatigue, work with your doctor to try to determine the cause. For example, fatigue could be a symptom of:
- Depression: A psychologist can help improve functioning, especially one knowledgeable about the impact of cancer on someone's life. Psychotropic medication may also help.
- Hypothyroidism: Thyroid tests usually done routinely may not be specific enough for people with cancer treatment in their medical history. If thyroid problems are suspected, a specialist known as an endocrinologist will be able to accurately diagnose and treat them.
- Anemia: A simple blood test can determine iron deficiency anemia. Some people may need iron supplementation. A change in eating habits may help.
- Heart problems.
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