Follow up for lung cancer

This page tells you about follow up after treatment for lung cancer. There is information about

A quick guide to what's on this page
What happens at your appointment
How often you have check ups
Worrying about your appointments

Follow up for lung cancer

After your treatment has finished, you will have regular check ups. Your doctor or specialist nurse will usually examine you and listen to your chest. They will ask how you are feeling, and whether you have had any new symptoms. You may also have chest X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound scans or blood tests at some visits.

How often you have appointments depends on the treatment you've had and how well it has worked. You might go to the hospital or see your GP. At first your check ups will be every few months. If all goes well, they will gradually become less frequent. If you are worried, or notice any new symptoms between appointments, you must let your doctor or specialist nurse know straight away. You don't have to wait for your next appointment.

If you have symptoms due to advanced cancer, you might see a specialist nurse or palliative care team regularly. They may visit you at home. They will check to make sure your symptoms are as well controlled as possible. And they can advise you about any practical help and support that you and your family need.

Many people find their check ups quite worrying. If you are able to share your worries, they may not seem quite so bad. It is quite common nowadays for people to have counselling after cancer treatment. There is information about counselling in the coping with cancer section.

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After your treatment has finished, you will have regular check ups. These check ups may involve

Being examined by your doctor or specialist nurse
Chest X-rays
CT scans
Ultrasound scans
Blood tests

You will not have all these tests at every visit to your specialist. But your doctor or nurse will almost certainly examine you and listen to your chest. They will ask how you are feeling and whether you have had any new symptoms. They will also ask if anything is worrying you.

How often you have appointments depends on the treatment you've had and how well it has worked. You might go to the hospital or see your GP or specialist nurse.

After surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy aiming to get rid of the cancer, you are likely to have an appointment between 2 and 6 weeks after the treatment has finished and then, for example

Every 3 months for the first year
Every 4 months for the second year
Every 6 months for the 3rd and 4th year
Then yearly

If you have had treatment aiming to control symptoms your doctor or specialist nurse will see you after the treatment has ended and they may then ask you to get in touch with them when you need to. If you are worried, or notice any new symptoms between appointments, you must let your doctor or specialist nurse know straight away. You don't have to wait for your next appointment. You can usually phone your specialist nurse and arrange to go in to the clinic to see them.

Many people find their check ups quite worrying. If you are feeling well and getting on with life, an appointment can bring all the worry about your cancer back to you. You may find it helpful to tell someone close to you how you are feeling. If you are able to share your worries, they may not seem quite so bad.

If you are having symptoms because your cancer has grown you might see a specialist nurse or palliative care team regularly. They may visit you at home. They will check to make sure your symptoms are as well controlled as possible. They can also advise you about any practical help and support that you and your family may need.

It is quite common nowadays for people to have counselling after cancer treatment. If you would like to talk to someone outside your own friends and family, look at the lung cancer organisations page for people who can help. To find out more about counselling look at the counselling section.

If you want to find people to share experiences with online, you could use CancerChat, our online forum. Or you can go through My Wavelength. This is a free service that aims to put people with similar medical conditions in touch with each other.