Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship
Living with Head and Neck Cancer
After treatment, there will be regular check-ups to monitor your progress and to make sure that the cancer has not returned. At first, the checkups will be every 2-3 months. After each year, the interval between visits will get longer until you have been cancer-free for 5 years. At that point, the doctor will only need to see you once a year.
It is extremely important to stop smoking and drinking alcohol during and after treatment. Smoking while being treated can make the treatment less effective. In addition, patients who continue to smoke after treatment have a higher chance of having a recurrent or new cancer.
Living with a serious disease such as cancer is not easy. Some people find they need help coping with the emotional and practical aspects of their disease. Support groups can help. In these groups, people living with cancer get together to share what they have learned about coping with the disease and the effects of treatment. Roswell Park has a support group for head and neck cancer that meets regularly. Ask your doctor for more information. The Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) can provide printed materials on coping, as well as information to help patients and their families locate programs and services.
