Bladder cancer
After treatment
What follow-up do I need?
After your cancer treatment has ended, you will still need regular appointments with your cancer specialist. This is called follow-up. Your doctor will discuss your follow-up plan with you.
Make sure you understand your follow-up plan and have a phone number to contact if you have any queries.
After treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
It is not unusual for bladder tumours to come back from time to time. You will usually need check-ups every few months for the first year or two. At each visit, you will have a cystoscopy, with or without a biopsy, and urine tests. These are to make sure the cancer has not come back. You may need to have another TURBT.
With higher-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer you will have more frequent follow-up visits than with low-risk bladder cancer.
You will likely have a cystoscopy at 3 months, 12 months then every year, for a total of 5 years' follow-up.
You will likely have checks every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years, then yearly thereafter. If your tumour comes back you may need to be seen more often.
Your medical team will let you know how often you need follow-up appointments.
After treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer
If you have surgery, you will be given a date to come back for a check-up, often about 4-6 weeks after your surgery. Your doctor will check how you are and discuss any test results with you. You doctor will also talk to you about any further treatment you may need.
After radiotherapy for bladder cancer, you will need close follow-up. This is to make sure the cancer does not come back. You will need to have regular checks of your bladder after your radiotherapy. If the cancer does come back, your bladder might need to be removed.
Getting the most from your follow-up
It’s important to go to your follow-up appointments so your doctor can check for signs of the cancer coming back (recurrence) and help with any side-effects that you may have. They can also check for new side-effects that may develop after you have finished treatment. It is best to be aware of these as early as possible so that suitable treatment can be given.
Tell your doctor or nurse how you have been since your last appointment. Ask any questions you have, and to let your doctor know if you are having any problems. Tell them about any new symptoms, aches or pains you have, or if you are finding it hard to cope.
It can help to write down what you want to say before you see the doctor so you don’t forget anything.
If you are between check-ups and have a symptom or problem that is worrying you, call your specialist nurse for advice or to arrange an earlier outpatient appointment if necessary.
If you become suddenly unwell and can’t contact your specialist nurse or hospital team, go to your GP or the emergency department at the hospital.
Life after treatment
The end of treatment is a time when people often expect to feel relieved, happy and able to get on with life again, but it can take some time to adjust and for your body and mind to recover.
We have information to help you with:
- Side-effects
- Your feelings after treatment
- Living a healthy lifestyle
- Financial and practical matters
LACES after-treatment workshop
Join our Life and Cancer – Enhancing Survivorship (LACES) programme when you have finished treatment or started maintenance therapy.
This workshop covers topics such as diet, exercise, wellbeing, finance and self-management and gives information on support and services to help you.
What if the cancer comes back?
Sometimes cancer does come back, even after successful treatment. Cancer cells may remain in your body and grow again, although your doctors do all they can to prevent this.
If the cancer does come back again it can be treated again. Your oncologist will decide what treatment is appropriate for you.
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