Cancer recovery and survivorship

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and ongoing recovery. Your doctor and care team will coordinate care and services specific to you. These services will help support your well-being and maintain your quality of life. Your care team is also here to help you with any physical or emotional symptoms or side effects that may come up.

During your follow-up appointments, you may have more imaging, bloodwork, and other tests. Tell your doctor about any concerns or side effects you’re having. Also let your doctor know about any over-the-counter medications you’re taking. Your care team will work together to track your progress. And they may recommend activities based on your age and the type and stage of your cancer.

As you recover and take care of yourself, think about combining the support you get from your care team with activities you can do at home. Focus on things that help you cope with cancer treatment and ease your recovery. Here are some examples:

• Rest when you need to. You may not have the energy you used to. Accept that you may need help with shopping, yard work, or other tasks. Asking for help might make you feel vulnerable, but it’s an important part of staying on top of your recovery.
• Spend time in a calm, relaxing space surrounded by nature. A soothing environment can have a big impact on emotional healing. That’s why you’ll find “healing gardens” at many of our facilities. Stop by after an appointment or find a calm, relaxing setting near your home.
• Try at-home treatments for managing common side effects.
  • Home remedies for sleep problem
  • Home remedies for fatigue
  • Home remedies for pain
  • Home remedies for nausea or vomiting
  • Home remedies for constipation
  • Home remedies for diarrhea
  • Home remedies for hair loss
  • Home remedies for mouth sores

Avoid a trip to the pharmacy. For most medications, you can get prescriptions mailed to you. We’ll deliver them to your door at no extra cost.

You also can ask your doctor to prescribe lower doses of pain medication. Or you can ask for natural and drug-free pain management alternatives after treatment.

Cancer can continue to affect your emotions even after you complete treatment. That’s why mental health screenings are an important part of cancer recovery. Your doctor will talk to you about any mental health concerns, such as depression. If needed, your care team will connect you to support services.

Our dedicated care teams build personal, trusting relationships to support all that is you — physically, mentally, and emotionally. We’ll be there every step of the way, so you and your loved ones can focus on what matters to you. 

You can choose from many mental health resources and programs for cancer survivors:

• In-person and virtual health and wellness programs
• Individual counseling and psychiatric care to help you work through emotions
• Support groups that connect you with others who understand what you're going through
• A depression screening tool to help you understand what you’re experiencing
• A self-help resource library

Cancer and some cancer treatments can cause pain. But having cancer doesn’t mean you have to live with pain. Controlling your pain is an important part of cancer treatment and recovery.

We offer palliative care to help relieve your pain and improve your quality of life. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness. It may include medicines or other treatments to help reduce or stop your pain. It may also help you eat and sleep better, have more energy, and enjoy time with your family and friends.

Learn more about managing cancer pain

Your doctor may refer you to physical therapy as part of your recovery. We offer in-person therapy at our facilities and a convenient online physical therapy program. If you do video therapy from home, you’ll be guided through a variety of exercises online. In some cases, your doctor may decide in-person physical therapy is more appropriate.

Learn more about physical therapy

Depending on your treatment, you and your doctor may talk about reconstructive surgery. For some cancer survivors, surgery is a way to help reduce scars, enhance a body part, or restore damaged tissue. If you think surgery might help after treatment, you can meet with our plastic surgeons at any point in your recovery. They’ll help you review your options. And they’ll work with your care team to provide surgery when and how it’s best for you.

Cancer treatment can impact your ability or desire to eat well. It can also make it harder to exercise. Your tastes may change or you may feel nauseated after treatment.

But good nutrition during and after cancer treatment promotes healing and recovery. Eating healthy can help you improve your energy level and manage side effects.

You can choose from several programs to help you get back to a healthy lifestyle:

• Our Food for Health recipe library has recipes for healthy meals you can make at home.
• Healthy lifestyle programs can help you eat healthier, move more, sleep better, and more.
• Wellness coaching offers one-on-one advice by phone — without a referral.
• Registered dietitians design meal plans to help you feel better.

Learn more about managing nutrition after cancer

Everyone reacts differently after cancer. It may be hard to understand how cancer has affected you. You may have a fresh outlook on life. Or you may still feel distress over everything you’ve gone through. It’s important to remember that there’s no right or wrong way to feel.

Reaching out to people with similar experiences for support after cancer can be helpful. Kaiser Permanente offers support groups and classes to connect you with other survivors.² Consider attending wellness classes or meeting with a cancer support group.² It may help to hear how others are getting through this tough time in their lives.

View health class directory

Cancer can put a strain on some relationships. And it may make others stronger. Communication is key to maintaining relationships that may have changed during cancer treatment. Try to stay in touch with loved ones. Tell them how they can help or better understand what you’re going through.

Your roles and family duties also may change as you recover from cancer treatment. Certain changes may cause stress or anger in your family. Talking with your family about your cancer is important. It can help you find ways to work together and stay connected.

Learn how cancer affects relationships with family and friends

Cancer treatment can change the way you look. You may have scars, hair loss, and weight changes. You may be dealing with wounds or changes to your skin resulting from surgery. Or you may have side effects from radiation. Your doctor can help you find resources to help you heal.

Talking through your emotions about your appearance is a good place to start. Don’t hesitate to reach out to loved ones or a therapist. Staying active and exercising can also help you feel better about the way you look.

To cope with hair loss, wearing a wig, scarf, or hat may help improve the way you feel. And if you decide you want to change your appearance, surgery can help with many issues. For example, it can help reduce scars or rebuild a part of the body that was damaged or removed.

Learn more about coping with body image issues after cancer

Cancer treatment often affects sexuality. At times, you may feel a strong need for a supportive, healing connection with someone. At other times, you may want to be alone.

If you have a partner, you each may have very different needs after your cancer treatment. Good communication can help you understand each other and keep your relationship healthy. If needed, set aside extra time together to find new ways to be intimate. You can also ask your doctor for resources to help when you’re ready.

Some treatments for cancer can cause infertility in men and women. Also, cancer treatment in children may affect their future fertility. Infertility from cancer treatment may be temporary or permanent. Talk to your doctor to find out if your fertility could be affected.

Learn more about cancer treatment and sexuality

You may have concerns about how your treatment affects your job or insurance status. In some cases, it may help to change your regular work hours or take time off work to recover from treatment. Ask your care team to connect you with resources to help you manage these issues.

There are state and federal programs to help you navigate insurance and employment. Depending on where you live, State Disability Insurance (SDI) or the federal Family and Medical Leave Act may be able to help. They may even provide job protection or wage replacement during your time away.

It can be hard to put an experience like cancer completely behind you. But looking to the future may help you move forward. For some people, that means finding time to travel.

Having a health condition or needing follow-up care shouldn’t get in the way of traveling. As a member, you can get certain medical services when you’re away from home. This can help you continue your recovery while knowing we have you covered.

Learn more about getting care while traveling

Kaiser Permanente is a leader in cancer research, giving your care team access to the latest practices, immunotherapies, and clinical trials.

As a cancer survivor, you can take part in our cancer research and clinical trials. Join our scientists and physician researchers to help us better understand cancer risks. You may also help us improve treatments and patient outcomes.

The Kaiser Permanente Research Bank is one of the largest biobanks in the country. Our researchers use the data to improve care for all people in the broader community. To join, just complete a short health survey and provide a blood sample. There’s no cost and you can stop at any time. All personal information you provide stays private.

As a caregiver, you take time from your life to support someone who needs help. This support could be social, financial, emotional, or physical. Or it could be a combination of all these things. For example, you may need to help a loved one make appointments and pick up medications. You may also drive them to treatments and appointments. And you may need to provide emotional support.

Helping can feel good, but it’s not always easy. Kaiser Permanente provides a pathway for you to sign up as a caregiver. This can make it easier to manage the many tasks involved in caring for a cancer survivor.

Learn more about cancer caregiving

To become an official caregiver for a Kaiser Permanente member, you need to sign up to Act for a Family Member at kp.org. The member you’ll be caring for can give you access by signing in to their account and using the “My Profile” feature to choose you to act on their behalf. Then you’ll be able to manage many aspects of your loved one’s care online. You can:

• Refill most prescriptions for your family member
• Email their doctor’s office with nonurgent health questions
• View their health record, including most lab results, immunizations, and other health information

Caregivers must be 18 or older and have their own kp.org account.

Learn more about setting up caregiver access

When your loved one creates a Life Care Plan, it helps make sure their care wishes are respected. The plan offers guidance for their caregivers, their care team, and anyone who treats them. It also covers topics that can help your loved one prepare for cancer treatment and recovery. In completing a Life Care Plan, they have a chance to openly discuss their care preferences. This can provide comfort to your loved one and anyone who makes decisions for them. And if their health changes over time, they can change their Life Care Plan.

Learn more about how to create a Life Care Plan

In some cases, you may need help providing your loved one with essential end-of-life care. Our hospice care serves patients of any age. Care could include help with bathing, pain management, and wound care. It also could include counseling, spiritual care, and social support.

Visits happen in the home or in a licensed care facility one or more times per week. Where and how often visits happen depends on each patient’s needs.

Learn more about when to consider hospice care