Irving, TX - Pancreatic cancer follow up care is given to patients after completing their treatment. The health care team continues to check on you to ensure cancer has not recurred. They will also help you manage any side effects and keep track of your overall health. Follow-up care may also include physical examination, medical, and imaging tests.

“Follow up care is important to every pancreatic cancer patient,” says Susan. “It helps to monitor your health through blood tests and monitoring your kidney and liver functions. Depending on your symptoms, imaging tests will also be carried out to look for recurrence."

Here are some of the reasons for follow-up care:

• To manage the long-term and late side effects of pancreatic cancer – Many patients may experience side effects while receiving treatment. Some side effects stay longer after therapy while others develop after months or years after undergoing treatment. The long-term and late side effects can cause emotional and physical changes in patients. That is why follow up care is conducted to help relieve the side effects.

• To watch out for recurrence – Pancreatic cancer can recur after treatment because of the cells that remain undetected inside the patient’s body. With time, the cells can multiply and cause symptoms. In follow-up care, the doctor will offer personalized information regarding your recurrence risk.

• To keep personal health records – Follow up care helps to address patient concerns about their future health and survivorship after completing treatment. The patient's type and stage of cancer, personal preferences, and side effects can help doctors to create personalized follow-up care using personal health records. Personal records help new cancer care teams to use your medical history during follow up care.

“When attending your pancreatic cancer follow up care, make sure you get your doctor’s advice about your side effects, treatment plan, late effects and any tests that may be required,” says Susan. “Your testing recommendations will depend on various factors that you should be aware of.”

About The Sandler-Kenner Foundation

The Sandler-Kenner Foundation, established in 2007 as the Las Colinas Cancer Center Foundation, was renamed in early 2011 in the memory of Michael Sandler and Peter Kenner, both of whom passed away from pancreatic cancer, a lethal disease that is difficult to diagnose until it has reached an advanced stage.

Visit them at https://helpfightpancreaticcancer.org/facts-about-pancreatic-cancer/treatment-drugs-for-pancreatic-cancer/ to know more.