After your treatment has finished you will have regular follow-up appointments. These may be at the radiotherapy department or at your original hospital. The positive effects of radiotherapy may take some time to show. People sometimes expect to be given an x-ray or a scan at the end of their treatment to see if it has worked. However, in many cases the tumour may take some time to shrink and the radiotherapy may cause some inflammation, which means that x-rays and scans may not be helpful at this time.

How often you have check-ups will vary depending on your type of cancer and from one hospital to another, but as time goes by they will become less frequent. Your specialist will keep in contact with your own family doctor so they will know about your progress. Follow-up appointments are a good opportunity to discuss any problems or worries you may have. It may help to make a list beforehand so that you don't forget anything important.

If you have any problems, or notice any new symptoms in between these times, let your doctor know as soon as possible. You don't have to wait until your next scheduled appointment – just ask for an earlier one.

Many people find that they get very anxious for a while before their appointments. This is natural and it may help to get support from family, friends or a support organisation.

Emotional effects

Sometimes the hardest time to cope with is when treatment is finished and you, and everyone else, see this as the time to get back to normal. Recovery time varies, and no one can say for sure how long you will take to get over the physical and emotional side effects.

The end of the visits to hospital for treatment can leave you feeling alone and neglected. Many people find that they feel very low and emotional at this time, when they had expected to be able to put the cancer and the treatment behind them. This may be the time when you need most support.