Wellness Plan After Cancer Treatment

This page is for people who have recently finished cancer treatment. It explains how to build a simple wellness plan that covers your body, your mood, and your daily habits.

A wellness plan after cancer treatment covers more than checking for the cancer's return. It looks at your whole health: your body, your mood, and your daily habits. Building one gives you a clear, active role in your own recovery. It is not just waiting for the next scheduled scan.

Ask your team for a written summary of your treatment, and a follow-up schedule. NCI says the summary should include the names and doses of chemotherapy and all other drugs, details of all surgeries, and the sites and total amounts of any radiation therapy. This document is the foundation everything else builds on. It tells every future doctor exactly what happened, and what to watch for.

NCI says staying active after cancer may help lower the risk of recurrence, and suggests moderate exercise such as walking, biking or swimming for about 30 minutes every, or almost every, day. Check with your team first about what is safe for you. NCI also suggests asking whether you should talk with a nutritionist about eating a healthy diet and any special dietary needs. Ask your team whether a referral to a dietitian or physical therapist would help.

NCI says to tell your doctor about any emotional problems you are having, such as anxiety, excessive worrying, or depression. Follow-up visits are for physical and emotional problems. Watch for ongoing low mood, anxiety, or fear of the cancer coming back, especially if it starts to interfere with daily life. Bring it up at your visits, the same way you would mention a physical symptom. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 right away, or call 911.

NCI says some cancer treatments can cause problems that may not show up for months or years after treatment. Ask your team which late effects to watch for with your specific treatment. Ask what screening is recommended, and how often. NCI also advises staying up to date with screenings and vaccines. You do not need to track this from memory. Keep it written down, alongside your treatment summary. Call your care team right away about a fever of 100.4 F or higher, or any new symptom that worries you.

A wellness plan works best as a few steady habits, not a long list you cannot keep up. Pick a few things that matter most for you, such as:

• A daily walk.
• A follow-up schedule kept on a calendar.
• One trusted person you check in with about how you are really doing.

Small, steady habits tend to outlast big plans that are hard to sustain.

Once treatment ends, you may see several doctors, such as your oncologist and your primary care doctor. NCI suggests asking your doctors to send clinic visit notes to each other. That way, no one works from an incomplete picture of your health.

Some people want to overhaul everything right after treatment ends. Others need months before they have the energy to think about anything beyond getting through each day. Both are normal. A wellness plan is not a test you can fail by moving slowly. Start with one small change, not ten, and build from there once it feels sustainable.

NCI suggests asking your care team whether they can suggest a support group that might help.

• Can I have a written treatment summary and follow-up schedule before my last treatment appointment?
• Which late effects apply to me, and how will they be watched?
• Would a referral to a dietitian, physical therapist, or mental health professional help my recovery?

• National Cancer Institute — Follow-Up Medical Care.
• National Cancer Institute — Cancer Survivorship.