Multiple myeloma
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.
Follow-up may involve having blood and urine tests to check the levels of paraproteins. You may also need other tests like X-rays and scans, depending on the stage of your illness and if you have any symptoms.
Make sure you understand your follow-up plan and have a phone number to contact if you have any queries.
Your doctor will check the dose of any medications you’re taking. For example, antibiotics, antifungals, laxatives, or tablets to prevent sickness, heartburn, gout, blood clots and also any other medication you’re taking, including ‘over-the-counter’ and health shop products.
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 beforehand, 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.
Why follow-up is important
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.
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 myeloma cells come back after being treated it’s called a relapse. A relapse can happen during or soon after treatment, or months or years later. In some cases the multiple myeloma stops responding to treatment. This is called resistant (or refractory) myeloma.
Most multiple myeloma patients will relapse and go back into remission a number of times. Remission is where the bone marrow recovers and the symptoms of myeloma disappear.
Length of remission: Remissions can last for months or years. The first remission is usually the one that lasts the longest. Generally the remission period gets shorter after each relapse.
Your doctor will look at different treatment options. If you’ve had a long remission (longer than a year) the same drugs as before may work for you. Or you may be given different chemotherapy drugs or targeted therapy drugs, usually with steroids.
Talk to a Cancer Nurse
Support Line
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