Finished
My Treatment

Completing your main treatments for breast cancer can be a great feeling. Many people are relieved to put the intensive phase of treatment behind them.  

But it can also be a time of mixed emotions and uncertainty. You may have questions about the screening needed to monitor for breast cancer recurrence (the cancer coming back). Or you may have long-term side effects from treatment that you need to manage. And if you were diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, you’ll likely continue to receive hormonal therapy for a number of years.  

Whatever your post-treatment concerns are, we’re here with resources and support while you navigate your long-term health, so you can focus on you.     

If you’ve been diagnosed with early-stage or locally advanced (non-metastatic) breast cancer, you’ll finish your main treatments — such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — and then transition to follow-up (or “survivorship”) care. Getting good follow-up care can make a big difference in your ongoing quality of life. 

You may want to ask your oncology care team for a survivorship care plan — a document that includes a summary of your diagnosis and the treatments you received, information on side effects you might develop, and personalized recommendations for your follow-up care. 

Read more about breast cancer survivorship and overcoming challenges to accessing the follow-up care you need.

Depending on the type of surgery you had and other factors, you might need to continue getting regular imaging tests to screen for breast cancer recurrence or a second primary breast cancer. 

Learn more about mammograms after breast surgery and about screening with imaging tests after breast reconstruction.

Some treatment-related side effects can start during treatment, just after treatment, or even months or years later. Always tell your health care providers about any troubling side effects you are experiencing. For most side effects, there are therapies or other strategies or interventions that can be helpful. 

Read more about side effects and listen to our podcasts about managing side effects.

Some people find it challenging to stick with hormonal therapy (also called endocrine therapy or anti-estrogen therapy) because they struggle with side effects such as joint pain, hot flashes, weight gain, depression, trouble sleeping, or vaginal dryness. But there are ways of lessening hormonal therapy side effects to make them more manageable.

Read tips for sticking with hormonal therapy. 

Some people opt to get breast reconstruction, nipple tattoos, or nipple reconstruction in the months or years after finishing treatment. There are also many surgical options for correcting complications after a mastectomy, lumpectomy, or breast reconstruction procedure.  

Learn more about breast reconstruction.

In the months or years after you complete active treatment, you might have feelings of sadness, anxiety, fear, or anger that at times may interfere with your daily life. These feelings might stem from the experience of your diagnosis or treatment and can also be side effects of certain treatments. Anyone diagnosed with breast cancer can benefit from mental health support. There are several types of mental health care worth exploring, including online and in-person support groups, peer navigators, and one-on-one counseling with a mental health professional.   

Learn more about taking care of your mental health.

Breast cancer treatment can affect your sexual health and body image. There are many resources available for treatment and support if you’re having problems with sexual health and function, intimate relationships, or body image issues. 

Learn more about sexual health. 

If you’re interested in getting pregnant after breast cancer treatment, you may want to get a referral to a fertility specialist. Some breast cancer treatments can cause temporary or longer-term infertility or make it more difficult to get pregnant. But there are a number of options for preserving your fertility and treating fertility problems.   

Learn more about fertility and pregnancy after breast cancer.

You may be worried about the possibility of breast cancer recurring (coming back) after initial treatment. Talk with your doctor about what you can do to keep your risk as low as possible. Your doctor might recommend taking certain medicines (such as hormonal therapy) or adopting specific lifestyle habits (like quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and eating a healthy diet) to lower your risk. 

Learn more about breast cancer recurrence risk.

Complementary or holistic therapies can be helpful for managing side effects and protecting your mental and emotional health. There are many complementary therapies you can talk to your doctor about trying during or after treatment, such as acupuncture, medical cannabis, meditation, Reiki, or yoga.

Learn more about complementary therapies. 

After treatment ends, you may still be dealing with medical bills, ongoing costs related to your diagnosis and treatment, insurance issues, and other financial or job-related concerns.   

Learn about ways of covering the cost of your care, easing the transition back to work, and finding health insurance.

Because records of your medical information are kept by different doctors in different places, it’s a good idea to assemble your own copy of your complete medical records (including your cancer treatment summary) that you can access whenever you need to. 

Learn more about getting and organizing your medical records.  

As you navigate life after treatment, you might want to connect with others going through similar experiences for support and advice. Consider joining Breastcancer.org’s online forums and "Bonded by Breast Cancer” virtual meetups.

 

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