Follow-up Care for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors: What’s in a Care Plan?

Talk to your primary care doctor. Did a member of your oncology team already send a survivorship care plan to your physician, describing your recommended treatment, possible side effects, and follow-up care? If so, review it together.

If your oncology team didnotsend a plan to your doctor,check out these online templates. Note that some are for patients to fill out, some are for doctors, and some ask you to work as a team. Choose the one that works for you. In addition toa treatment summary and description of follow-up appointments, care plans should address key aspects of future treatment, including the following...

是的，你的治疗已经结束，但副作用流连忘返。您和您的初级保健医生应该知道的likely side effects(fatigue, nerve problems, skin changes, and memory loss, to name just a few) and how to treat them.

相同的营养认为to help prevent cancer will likely help avoid recurrence.这意味着loading up on fruits and veggies (aim for 2.5 cups per day — more is better), choosing whole grains over refined grains and sugars, and saving red and processed meats for rare occasions. (Find inspiration在一个女人的故事.)

While the jury’s still out on whether exercise helps prevent recurrence of cancer,体力活动has been shown to help mitigate some of the side effects associated with cancer treatment, including fatigue. Try to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Also, if you haven’t already, stop smoking and drinking.

Your primary care doctor will likely want to check in with you more often than they did pre-cancer. That’s becauseabout 30 to 40 percent of head and neck cancer patientswill have another bout with it near the site of the original cancer. The earlier it’s detected, the better the prognosis, so make sure you and your doctor plan for follow-up visits and imaging.

Just as some of your physical side effects may linger,心理健康issues might also remain (or emerge). Your worries may have shifted — returning to work, fear ofrecurrence, and feeling uncertain about the future are all common concerns post-cancer treatment — but those worries can invoke stress. Talk to your doctor about how to cope.

你和你的医生应该知道的common complications that head and neck cancer survivors face. From muscle spasms to sleep disturbances to vertigo, dealing with complications will be less scary if you are familiar with them and report them early.

总而言之，一个生存护理计划应该让你的生活更轻松。如果制定计划时感到紧张，寻求帮助。你的医生（现任或前任）将有可能能够帮助。如果没有，寻求帮助或支持从熟悉你以前照顾朋友或家庭成员。