I've completed my treatment! What should I expect now?

Your care doesn’t end when treatment ends — it simply shifts. Follow-up care allows your medical team to monitor your health, manage any lingering effects, and help you return to your life with confidence.

What follow-up usually looks like:

• Visits every 3–6 months for the first couple of years, then less often
• Physical exams and discussions about any new symptoms
• Imaging such as mammograms or MRIs (based on your surgical history)
• Ongoing evaluation of treatment-related side effects 

Between visits, call your care team if you notice new, persistent, or worsening symptoms. You know your body best — your concerns are important.

Most oncology teams provide a survivorship care plan summarizing:

• Your diagnosis and treatments
• Recommended follow-up schedule
• Signs and symptoms to watch for
• Lifestyle recommendations
• Contact information for your care team

Keep a copy in your personal health folder and bring it to all future appointments.

It’s common to experience lingering effects after treatment — fatigue, neuropathy, mental fog, skin/hair changes, or surgical discomfort. These symptoms often improve over time, but support is available.

Common experiences after treatment:

• Fatigue that improves gradually with movement and rest
• Numbness or tingling in hands/feet
• Changes in sleep, mood, or memory (“chemo brain”)
• Stiffness or swelling in the arm or chest after surgery 

You don’t have to navigate this alone. For detailed guidance and tips, visit our Managing Side Effects page.

Emotional healing can take time. Many people expect to feel only joy after finishing treatment — but anxiety, sadness, or a sense of disconnection are just as common.

This phase may include:

• Relief mixed with fear about the future
• Anxiety around follow-up scans (“scanxiety”)
• Adjusting to a new normal in your body or routines
• Processing the pace of life slowing down after months of intensity

Support groups, therapists, oncology social workers, and trusted community spaces can make a real difference.
For more resources, coping strategies, and support options, visit Coping & Emotional Health page.

After treatment, many people find that gentle lifestyle habits help restore energy and confidence. You don’t need perfection — just slow, steady progress.

Helpful places to start:

• Short daily walks, stretching, or gentle yoga
• Hydration and balanced meals that support healing
• Gradually increasing activity as your body allows
• Working with a physical therapist if you’ve had significant surgery

These changes should feel supportive, not overwhelming.

For practical tips and patient-friendly guides, visit Nutrition & Exercise.

Some people experience early menopause or menstrual changes after treatment. If you have questions about fertility, hot flashes, sexual health, or hormonal changes, ask your oncologist or a reproductive specialist. You deserve clear, compassionate guidance on this part of your health.

Navigating life after treatment can feel unfamiliar, but you’re not alone.
You may benefit from:

• Survivorship clinics or programs at your treatment center
• Cancer support communities (local or virtual)
• Peer groups for young adults, parents, or specific diagnoses
• TNBC-specific foundations and research advocacy networks

Joining a supportive community can help you feel grounded and understood.

Explore: Survivor Stories | Expert Forum |  Join Our Community

Call your care team if you experience:

• A new lump or persistent swelling
• Unexplained pain that doesn’t improve
• Shortness of breath
• Persistent headaches
• Significant changes in energy or weight
• Any symptom that worries you

Trust your instincts — your care team is there for you.