后续护理 – 安健肿瘤治疗中心后续护理
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What Is Follow-Up Care & Why Is It Important? Follow-up care is important because it helps identify changes in health. The main purpose of follow-up care is to check for the return of cancer in the primary site (a recurrence), or the spread of cancer to another part of the body (metastasis).
Follow-up care involves regular medical checkups that include a review of a patient’s medical history and a physical exam. Imaging procedures; endoscopy (the use of a thin, lighted tube to examine organs inside the body); or lab tests may be part of follow-up care for certain cancers. Physical therapy, occupational or vocational therapy, pain management, support groups, or home care may also be included in your follow-up care plan.
Follow-up care can also help to identify the development of a second cancer, unknown or unusual treatment side effects, and late effects of cancer treatments (side effects that develop months or years after treatment). Checkups help ensure that any changes in health are noted and treated if needed. Between scheduled visits, contact your doctor if you experience any health problems.
It’s important to note that cancer recurrences are not always detected during follow-up visits. Many times, recurrences are suspected or found by patients themselves between scheduled checkups. It is important for patients to be aware of changes in their health, and report any problems to their doctor. The doctor can determine whether the problems are related to the cancer, the treatment the patient received, or an unrelated health problem.
How Are Follow-up Care Schedules Planned? Ongoing health needs are not the same for everyone. Follow-up care is individualized based on the type of cancer, the type of treatment received, and the person’s overall health. In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment, and once or twice a year after that.
At these follow-up appointments, the doctor may recommend tests to check for recurrence or to screen for other types of cancer. In many cases, it is not clear that follow-up tests improve survival or quality of life. This is why it is important for the doctor to help determine what follow-up care plan is appropriate. The doctor may not need to perform any tests if the person appears to be in good physical condition and does not have any symptoms. It’s important for you to talk with your doctor about any questions or concerns related to the follow-up care schedule.
When planning a follow-up care schedule, consider who will provide the follow-up care and other medical care. Select a doctor with whom you feel comfortable. This may be the same doctor who provided your cancer treatment. For other medical care, you may continue to see a family medicine doctor or medical specialist as needed.
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