Follow up after Hodgkin lymphoma treatment

Why you might have follow up appointments

You usually have follow up appointments every few months to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or worries. Your healthcare team checks for signs that your lymphoma might be coming back (relapsing).

They can also help you manage any problems you might have that are either:

• a side effect of your treatment

• a new condition caused by your treatment that appears months or years later. For example, a heart or lung condition

How often are my check ups?

How often you see a specialist depends on:

• how you are feeling

• the type of treatment you have had and how well it worked

• the practice at your local hospital

Hospitals use different follow up schedules but you usually have routine follow ups for 2 years after you finish treatment.

Some hospitals offer a type of follow up called self-management or remote monitoring. You can still talk to your healthcare team whenever you need to. But it relies on you noticing symptoms yourself and booking appointments.

What happens during the appointments?

Your doctor or specialist nurse examines you at each appointment. They ask how you are feeling, whether you have had any symptoms or side effects, and if anything is worrying you.

You might also have blood tests. Your doctor will check how well your ​thyroid​ is working if you had radiotherapy to your neck area. And they may check your ​testosterone​ or ​oestrogen​ levels if you had high dose chemotherapy.

If you do have any new symptoms or any ongoing effects from your lymphoma treatment, you might have:

• a ​CT scan​

• a ​PET-CT scan​

• more blood tests

• a ​lymph node biopsy​

Learn more about tests you might have for Hodgkin lymphoma

You usually only have a scan if you have new symptoms that could be due to Hodgkin lymphoma coming back.

Your doctor will check for signs of cancer. You might have regular breast screening if you are a woman and had radiotherapy to the chest area before the age of 40. This could be a ​mammogram​ or an ​MRI​ scan.

Find out about short and long term side effects of radiotherapy

Between appointments

Contact your doctor or specialist nurse if you have any concerns between appointments. You should also contact them if you notice any new symptoms. You don’t have to wait until your next visit.

Many people find check ups quite worrying. A hospital appointment can bring back any anxiety you had about your cancer.

It can help to tell someone close to you how you’re feeling. Sharing your worries can mean they don’t seem so overwhelming. Many people find it helpful to have counselling during or after treatment.

Read about counselling and how to find a counsellor

You can also find people to share experiences with by using our online forum, Cancer Chat.

Find out more at Cancer Chat