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What is cervical cancer follow-up care?
Upon diagnosis follow-up is a significant aspect of cancer care. Follow-up for cervical care is shared among the cancer specialists such as gynecologist, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist and surgical oncologist and the family doctor. To meet your needs, the healthcare team will consult with you to decide on follow-up treatment.

Once you have completed your treatment, the doctors will always want to monitor you closely. Going to all of your follow-up appointments is really important. The doctor’s appointments are a good time to ask questions and discuss about any improvements or problems you might find or have any concerns. During these appointments, the physicians will ask if you have any problems and can suggest scans and laboratory tests or imaging tests to check for symptoms of cancer or side effects of treatment.

Any cancer treatment can cause side effects. Some may only last for a couple of days or weeks but others may last a long. Some side effects cannot even show up until years after you have finished treatment. It is important to let your doctor know about any new signs or complications, because they could be caused by the cancer recurrence, a new illness or a second cancer. You should not wait to mention any new signs and symptoms that last long until the next scheduled appointment. Tell your health-care team if you have:

Bleeding or discharge from the vagina
Pain in the pelvis, hips, back or legs
Unexplained weight loss
Changes in bowel habits or bladder function
Persistent cough

How do you recover post cervical cancer treatment?

Screening for Cervical Cancer Recurrence

One more goal of follow-up treatment is to test for the how often does cervical cancer return or recur. Cancer recurs because small areas of cancer cells in the body can remain undetected. These cells can increase in number over time before they get detected test results, or cause signs or symptoms. A doctor who is familiar with your medical history can provide you with complete details about your risk of recurrence during the follow-up treatment. Your health care professional will ask detailed questions about your health. Some people may have blood tests for cervical cancer or imaging scans performed as part of routine follow-up treatment, but testing protocols depend on a variety of factors, including the form and stage of cancer originally diagnosed and the treatment given.

General Health and Cancer Screening

There are certain set of guidelines that are recommended to use for women recovering from cervical cancer for good health. These include maintaining healthy weight, physical exercise, avoiding smoking, balanced diet, and following cancer screening recommendations.

The following are the general recommendations for women recovering from cervical cancer:

Ensure that you eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Limit the amount of foods and beverages that are high in calories and less saturated fat
Be physically active
For women who are undergoing chemotherapy or hormone therapy are advised to get strength training exercise for a minimum of 2 days per week to retain and build strength
Limit alcohol consumption to not more than one drink in a day
Quit smoking or use only certain types of tobacco
Adopt General Cancer Screening guidelines.Women who have had menopause and are taking a specific type of hormone therapy called selective oestrogen receptor modulator (SERM) agents, should have a gynecological examination annually and notify the doctor about any vaginal bleeding.

Talk to your doctor or other health-care team member to help you develop the best exercise plan, diet plan, and cancer screening schedule. Also, talk about resources to help you quit if you are smoking or using tobacco.

Managing Long-term Side Effects

When undergoing treatment most people expect to experience side effects. However, survivors still find it troubling that certain side effects can persist beyond the treatment period considered as long-term side effects. Certain side effects which are called late effects can occur months or even years later. Long-term and late effects may include physical as well as emotional changes. The healthcare provider will usually ask you during a follow-up visit about the side effects of the treatment and how you are coping up with them.

Your doctor recommends to have physical exam, including:

Pelvic examination
Pap test
Digital rectal exam (DRE)
Feeling the lymph nodes above the collarbones

Regular Pap tests are performed after cervical cancer treatment. Samples are obtained from residual parts of the cervix or the vagina. Pap tests should not be performed for the first year after surgery or radiation therapy because changes in cell and tissue from such procedures may make the findings difficult to interpret correctly.

You may have certain tests which are often part of follow-up care:

A colposcopy, which uses a lighted magnifying instrument to examine the vulva, vagina and cervix
Blood tests including a complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry tests
Imaging tests such as a chest x-ray, a CT scan, an MRI scan or a PET scan

If the cancer has come back, you and your healthcare team will discuss a plan for your treatment and care.

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Cervical Cancer

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