Follow up after ovarian cancer treatment

After treatment for ovarian cancer, you have regular check ups at the hospital. You also have tests including blood tests, x-rays and scans. Over time, these appointments become less frequent. 

Why you have follow up appointments

You usually have follow up appointments to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or worries. The appointments also give you the chance to raise any concerns you have about your progress.

You have tests at some of these appointments. The doctor is looking for signs that your cancer has come back or started to grow again. 

What happens?

Your doctor or nurse examines you at each appointment. They ask how you are feeling, whether you have had any symptoms or side effects, and if you are worried about anything. You might also have tests at some visits.

Tests may include:

• blood tests

• x-rays

• CT scan

• ultrasound scans

You will not have all these tests at every visit to the hospital. 

CA125 blood test

CA125 is a protein that circulates in the blood. It can be measured with a blood test. It might be raised in women with some types of ovarian cancer. You may hear doctors calling CA125 a type of tumour marker.

Your doctor might use CA125 blood tests to monitor you after treatment. 

How often you have check ups

How often you have check ups depends on a number of things. These include:

• the stage and grade of your cancer
• your type of cancer
• your treatment 
• how well you are

Over time, your appointments become less frequent. You may decide to only have an appointment if you have any problems or develop a new symptom.

Patient initiated follow up (PIFU)

Patient initiated follow up (PIFU) is a way of running check ups. This system leaves it to you to take the lead in arranging to see your doctor or specialist nurse. You might also hear this called open access follow up (OAFU).

When you first finish treatment, your hospital arranges your appointments. But once your doctors are happy with your progress you can arrange them yourself. You can do this as often as you feel you need to.

You might want to make an appointment if you:

• have noticed a change in your body that worries you

• feel it is time you had a check up, even though you don't have any particular worries

In some situations, your specialist will ask you to book in for a particular test every so often.

This system means you can organise appointments to suit your own health needs. It also means that clinics aren’t full of people who might not need to see their doctor. This helps the hospital to keep waiting times short, so you can get an appointment quickly when you need one.

Between appointments

Many people find their check ups quite worrying. A hospital appointment can bring back any anxiety you had about your cancer.

It can help to tell someone close to you how you’re feeling. Sharing your worries can mean they don’t seem so overwhelming. Many people find it helpful to have counselling after cancer treatment.

You can also find people to share experiences with by using our online forum, CancerChat.