Regular follow-up
Every patient has his unique clinical conditions and thus receives different treatments. Taking into account individual needs, the doctor will discuss with the patient and formulate follow-up plan to monitor the condition and symptoms of recurrence. Patients have to attend follow-ups and examinations as planned. By doing so, even if the cancer unfortunately recurs, it can be detected and diagnosed in a timely manner for prompt treatments which facilitate early recovery. If any new symptoms are developed during the follow-up period, the patient should notify the doctor as soon as possible.
Effective communication is always bidirectional. Both healthcare professionals and patients have to learn to communicate with each other effectively. Patients should make reasonable requests with a calm, sincere and cooperative attitude, avoid confrontation and be considerate about their feelings and situation.
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Record physical conditions such as:
- Time and place of onset.
- Symptoms (body temperature, weight, color/quality of stool, pain, appetite, mental/physical condition etc.).
- Symptom location and frequency of the symptoms.
- Past illnesses and previous treatments.
- Drug allergies or other allergies.
- Family medical history.
- Collect relevant information and consult the medical team if needed:
- Keep any appointments, or notify the hospital or clinic as early as possible if you are unable to do so.
- Bring the current medication, follow-up card, appointment slip, and medical reports from private healthcare settings (if any) including laboratory test results, X-ray film, etc.
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Consider writing down questions in advance to consult the medical team during the appointment. Examples are suggested below:
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For newly diagnosed patients:
- What is my diagnosis? What kind of disease is this? What are my treatment options?
- What side-effects could this treatment bring?
- How effective is this treatment?
- How would this treatment affect my body? Are there any other possible impacts?
- How did other patients react to this treatment?
- How long will I need to stay on the treatment? Can I go to work normally? When can I expect to resume my job?
- What can I do if there is sudden change in my medical condition?
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For follow-up patients:
- What is the condition of my disease? Is it under control?
- Will I suffer from any sequelae? What should I do to reduce its impact?
- Does this medicine have side effects? What should I do if I experience side effects? What should I pay attention to? Is it safe to long-term use?
- How do I know if my condition is getting worse? What are the possible symptoms of recurrence and complication?
- I experience … after treatment. Is it normal?
- Recently I feel discomfort and I am wondering if it is because of my disease. What should I do?
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For disease progression or recurrence:
- Which part of my body is affected?
- What symptoms and possible impacts should I expect? How long will they last?
- Is it curable? If yes, what are my treatment options? What is the outlook? If no, are there any other treatment options?
- Is there any treatment to relieve my symptoms (such as pain)?
- What is your recommendation? What are the prognosis and side-effects of this treatment? What should I do to prepare for treatment?
The above examples are for reference only. Patients are recommended to prepare their own questions in accordance with their conditions.
- Adhere to the medication regimen on time, jot down the details of drug reaction if any, including its duration and degree of the effect, and show these records in the next follow-up appointment.
- Inform the medical team if the patients feel unwell after medication or during treatment.
- Talk to family members for care and support.
- Express your needs clearly, try to understand the details of treatment and examinations.
- Describe the symptoms objectively.
- Don’t worry about asking questions. Repeat the questions if needed.
- It is difficult to know everything during an appointment. Patients may ask urgent questions first, leaving the others for next appointments.
- Patients may consider attending follow-up appointments together with relatives or friends who help raise questions and ask for information.
- Pay attention to the emotions of the medical team and yourself, remain objective, and express your needs.