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End of Treatment and Follow-up Care

Congratulations! You have made it through all those seemingly endless tests and therapy rounds! But even though the most difficult part of your journey may be over, there is still a lot of planning and learning to do. Now you must create your own plan of action-when and where will you have follow-up visits, what late effects of cancer therapy you should be on the look out for, and how to maintain your physical and emotional well-being.

What can you do to keep on track with your health care after the end of treatment?

The first place to start is being familiar with the Long Term Follow-up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer. This is a set of recommendations from expert doctors and nurses that work with the different types of cancer mentioned in the guidelines. The recommendations include what medical tests and screens should be done throughout a cancer survivor's life. These tests and screens are important because they identify any late effects of pediatric cancer treatment that may develop and cause problems. These guidelines were developed by the Children's Oncology Group, and can be used to guide your conversations with your treatment team concerning your follow up care. The guidelines can be found directly at are available at Guidelines PDF. Below is a summary of the guidelines dealing with all the side effects that are specific for osteosarcoma.

• What exactly are "late effects"?
• Care for the Mind, Body, and Spirit
• What else can I do to successfully prepare for my follow-up care?
• Potential Late Effects of Chemotherapy Drugs Used for Osteosarcoma
• Osteosarcoma Follow Up Care Recommendations

Written and reviewed by: Susanne Ragg, MD, PhD; Deannie Lee, MD, PhD; James Hill, MD; Joseph Bidwell, PhD; Ann Haddix, RN, MSN, CPNP; Jada Paine, MS; Amber MacMahon, BS; Julie Haydon, BS; Michelle Lucke, MPH; Eve Doucette, BS; Elaine Skopelja, MALS, AHIP; Kellie Kaneshiro, AMLS, AHIP. Date last reviewed: August 2006.