I was diagnosed in July 2006 (WLE, SNB, radiotherapy & tamoxifen) Have had annual mammograms & mr scans due to family history, all of which have been clear until this year. Diagnosed for second time in Feb this year. Have had mastectomy this time, SNB again & back on tamoxifen. I saw consultant two weeks post surgery & now don’t have any follow ups till next year when they said I will have a mammogram. I can’t help feeling completely abandoned & that I should have sone kind of check up before then. Any advice?
3 Likes
Hi chuzzy,
Thanks for your post.
It’s understandable that you are feeling worried and abandoned following your breast cancer treatment.
Nearly everyone who has been treated for cancer worries about it coming back (recurrence) and you’re not alone in being anxious about this. The uncertainty and fear of breast cancer returning is very real. At first, every ache or pain may frighten you, but most people find the anxiety lessens as the time goes on.
Many hospitals offer open access or patient-initiated follow-up. You should have been given information to help you manage your health after treatment, along with details of who to contact if you have any concerns or symptoms to report. The recommendations from NICE are to have a follow up mammogram yearly for 5 years on the remaining breast. You won’t usually have other routine scans and tests unless you report any symptoms that need checking. Several large studies have shown having regular scans when there are no symptoms is not useful in finding recurrence and doesn’t improve overall survival.
If you haven’t already, you could speak to your breast care nurse about how you are feeling. Some people may benefit from talking therapy, such as counselling, to explore ways of managing these worries and concerns. You can speak to your treatment team or GP about this. Some people find mindfulness can also be helpful.
Many people are surprised at how emotional they feel when their treatment finishes. Adapting to life after treatment can be difficult and often the need for information and support continues. You may be interested in our resources that are particularly for those who have come to the end of their hospital-based treatment. These are known as our Moving forward services and include our Moving Forward book and Moving Forward courses.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to answer your questions, offer support or simply listen to how you are feeling.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
The number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties prefix our number with 18001 and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.
If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.
Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.
Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.
We’re continually evaluating this service. If you want to provide feedback, please click the link to complete the survey . It should take approximately 10 minutes.
Best wishes
Katie
Breast Care Nurse
Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy
As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.