What should I ask my doctor when treatment ends?

When active cancer treatment ends, the focus shifts from treatment itself to follow-up care and long-term health. The National Cancer Institute suggests a set of questions for that shift. Start with the practical basics. How long might it take to feel more like yourself? Which doctor or doctors will you see going forward, and how often?

From there, ask what symptoms to watch for, and what tests you will need after treatment. Monitoring does not stop just because active treatment has. It is also worth asking about long-term health issues your specific treatment might cause, and what the chance is that your cancer could return.

Ask what records you should keep. Expect to receive a follow-up care plan, along with a written treatment summary describing the treatment you had. If you do not receive these, it is reasonable to ask for them directly.

Finally, ask what you can do to stay as healthy as possible, and whether your doctor can suggest a support group. The move out of active treatment has an emotional side as well as a medical one, and both are worth raising.