The active treatment for your melanoma is over—your surgery finished or, if you required it, your radiation, chemotherapy, or targeted cancer therapy completed. As your melanoma care moves into the recovery stage, you may feel a mix of relief, along with concern about recurrence.
What can you expect from follow-up care for melanoma? In addition to regular checkups with your doctor, there are both short- and long-term follow-up care guidelines.
Continue seeing your doctor.
Because you’ve had melanoma, you are more likely to have a new melanoma or another kind of skin cancer. Or, your existing melanoma may recur. It’s important to catch these cancers early, before they have a chance to spread, so careful periodic monitoring is essential.
Though there is no set standard for number of follow-up visits, doctors usually will recommend physical and skin exams every 3 to 6 months for the first 2 or 3 years after melanoma treatment, then annually after that. Your doctor will recommend a specific schedule for you based on your individual risk, medical history, and other factors.
If your melanoma was advanced, your doctor may want to perform imaging tests, such as a chest X-ray, CT scan, MRI, or PET scan to more aggressively check for recurrence. If your cancer was caught in an early stage, these tests are less likely to be part of your routine follow-up care.
Practice ‘safe sun’ to avoid future cancers.
Because you are at higher risk for skin cancer, you need to be especially protective of your skin. This means avoiding dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Doctors recommend you:
Limit outdoor activities when you might be exposed to direct sunlight to before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. (Note that UV rays can also penetrate clouds.).
Wear long sleeves, pants, hats and UV-protective sunglasses while outside.
Use broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher).
Avoid indoor tanning beds.
Learn to monitor your own skin.
Check your skin at least monthly for anything suspicious. Your doctor’s office should be able to guide you more thoroughly in this type of self-monitoring. You also may be given “mole maps”—photos of your existing moles, particularly on your back or other areas that are difficult for you to see. You can use these to compare any new growths or changes in existing ones. (You may need a family member or caregiver to help with this.)
Communicate with your doctor about lingering side effects.
Side effects vary greatly depending on the treatment you may have had, plus your response to it. Some side effects are temporary, such as skin irritation and fatigue if you underwent radiation therapy. Other side effects can have a longer impact, or may not become a problem until months after treatment.
While many problems are relatively mild, such as rashes or flu-like symptoms, some drugs can cause potentially severe side effects. For instance, immunotherapy medications that boost your immune system to fight cancer can lead to inflammation in the colon (colitis) and liver problems.
Talk with your doctor about what types of side effects to expect, which ones to report right away, and what remedies are available to minimize the symptoms. Also, keep in mind that not all side effects are physical. Cancer and its treatment can take a toll on your mental well-being. Let your doctor know if you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, such as trouble sleeping, irritability, or withdrawing from your friends and family.
Choose Your Follow-Up Care Provider
Depending on whether your melanoma was early stage or a more advanced stage, you may wish to switch providers for your follow-up care. People with early stage melanoma may choose to transition back to their regular dermatologist or family doctor for physicals and skin cancer checks. People with later stages of melanoma are more likely to remain with an oncologist.
You also may need to change doctors for insurance reasons or because you’ve moved. Whatever the cause, it’s helpful to be prepared with a summary of your cancer treatment. Plan ahead for your future healthcare needs with this type of information:
- Doctors who cared for you including full name, location and phone number
- Treatments including surgery and medications
- Blood and imaging test results
As you move past melanoma treatment into the recovery phase, continue to turn to your health team for advice, follow your doctor’s guidelines, and give priority to your follow-up visits. If you have questions or need help coping, consider reaching out to one of the many melanoma support groups available in your community or online: Search the AIM at Melanoma Foundation for a list of resources.
