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| Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment |
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|     **Updated:** 04/01/2002 |  |
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|  | What is Normal After Cancer Treatment?Getting Medical Care After Cancer TreatmentProfessional Support Services You May NeedDeveloping a Wellness PlanYour Body After Cancer TreatmentYour Mind and Your Feelings After Cancer TreatmentJoining a Support GroupFinding Meaning After Cancer TreatmentYour Social Relationships After Cancer TreatmentPractical Matters After Cancer TreatmentPatient Notes/Follow-Up Care GuideCancer Survivors' Bill of RightsGlossaryPage Options  Print This Page  Print This Document  View Entire Document  E-Mail This Document  View/Print PDF  Order Free CopyQuick LinksDirector's CornerDictionaryFunding OpportunitiesNCI PublicationsNCI CalendarEspañolNCI HighlightsThe Great American Smokeout November 18New Initiatives to Help Americans Quit SmokingPast Highlights | What is Normal After Cancer Treatment?
After you've finished your cancer treatment

**Congratulations on Finishing Your Cancer Treatment!**

	Ending cancer treatment can be both exciting and challenging. Most people are 	relieved to be finished with the demands of treatment, but many also feel 	sadness and worry. Many are concerned about whether the cancer will come back 	and what they should do after treatment.

	When treatment ends, people often expect life to return to the way it was 	before they were diagnosed with cancer. This rarely happens. You may have 	permanent scars on your body, or you may not be able to do some things you once 	did easily. Others may think of you--or you may view yourself--as being somehow 	different.
"While I was having chemo I just quit doing most anything ... so, the 					challenge for me was, what am I going to do now with my life? What should I go 					back to doing?"**Len, colon cancer survivor, 60**
	One of the hardest things after treatment is not knowing what happens next. *"Because 		the doctors and nurses never told me the range of what to expect, I had 		expectations of wellness that were absolutely unrealistic,"* one woman 	said, *"and so did my family and friends. This . . . led to a great deal of 		worry."*

	What is "normal" after cancer treatment? Those who have lived through treatment 	talk about the first few months as a time of change. It is not so much "getting 	back to normal" as it is finding out what is normal for you now. You can also 	expect things to keep changing as you begin your recovery. As one man put it, *"I 		thought when I had finished treatment--when they looked at my tests and they 		said it looked good--I thought, 'OK, this is done'. . . [but] it is not over."*

	Your new "normal" may include making changes in the way you eat, the activities 	you do, and your sources of support, all of which are discussed in this 	document.

After you've finished your cancer treatment

The information in this document is designed mainly for cancer survivors who 					have recently completed their cancer treatment, but you may find the 					information helpful even if you were treated a long time ago. The purpose of 					this document is to give cancer survivors and their loved ones a better idea of 					what to expect during the first few months after treatment ends. It covers what 					may happen with:
- 					Your medical care					 					Your body										Your mind and your feelings					
- 					Your social relationships					 						Practical matters such as job and insurance issues					   					As you'll see, this document talks about many concerns of those who have been 					through cancer treatment and offers suggestions that have helped others move 					forward. As you read, you may find yourself saying, *"That's just how I feel."*  					Although this document describes issues that are important to many survivors, 					each person has a unique response to having cancer. While some of the issues 					covered in this document may reflect your experience well, other issues may not 					concern you. Focus on finding what works for you. The information in this 					document is not intended to be all-inclusive. Resources are provided if you 					need more information on a given topic or one that is not included. We 					encourage you to be active in getting the information and support you need.				  					We use two symbols to help you find your way through this information:      
means that this section discusses medical approaches to addressing this problem.
 
means that this section has helpful hints.								
    
**Keep in Mind**

In this document, the term cancer survivor is used to include anyone who has 								been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the rest of his 								or her life. You may not like the word, or you may feel that it does not apply 								to you, but the word survivor helps many people think about embracing their 								lives beyond their illness.
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