Once you’ve completed your treatment regimen, you’ll have regular follow-up appointments through the UK Markey Cancer Center survivorship program. These appointments have a dual purpose — they’re designed to support your current health and wellness and to monitor for recurrence.
Follow-up care after melanoma treatment will involve both regular physical exams and frequent skin checks. Having skin exams at regular intervals is particularly important since it gives your medical team a chance to examine the skin for a recurrence of the original melanoma as well as new melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer.
Through the survivorship program, you’ll also have access to many other resources to help you regain your health and quality of life following cancer treatment. This can include education about your condition and any long-term health effects, as well as therapy, nutritional counseling and other supportive services.
When their initial treatment is completed, patients are referred to Markey's survivorship clinic. The survivorship clinic is designed to connect a patient's medical history with their future quality of life after treatment is over.
During a meeting with a nurse practitioner, patients will review their survivorship care plan. This includes:
- A treatment summary
- A list of integrative medicine services at Markey
- An overview of immunizations and suggested cancer screenings based on the patient's age
Ask your nurse practitioner for more information on diet, exercise and other daily activities following your initial treatment.
Dietitians and patient navigators are available as needed to help patients identify important aspects of their continuing health care. This may include long-term or late effects of treatment, diet and smoking cessation. Social workers specialized in oncology and financial counselors are available for consultation as well.
Patients also receive a personalized care plan, in line with national best practices for ongoing survivorship care. They are referred to a primary care provider if they don't already have one.
For more information on the survivorship clinic for skin cancer, please contact your care team.
