After treatment
Worries about the future
When you finish treatment you may have lots of different emotions. You may have been putting all your effort into coping with treatment and now you have the chance to look back at what you’ve been through. At the same time, your hospital appointments may become less frequent, which might mean you feel less supported.
The emotions and feelings you have after treatment can be very strong or unpleasant and may be new to you, but they are natural. Worry and fatigue can leave you feeling much more emotional or sensitive than you were before. You may experience a whole range of unexpected emotions, such as feeling withdrawn, fearful, irritable or frustrated. Not everyone reacts in the same way after treatment and some people may not experience these types of emotions. There’s no right or wrong way to feel.
Some people find that having a positive attitude helps them cope, but you may also feel under pressure to avoid appearing low or negative. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself.
Some people might feel they don’t have enough support from family, friends or their healthcare team after treatment ends. If you feel this way, you could try telling people how you feel and how they can help.
If you're feeling worried, speak to your healthcare team about what support is available to you.
Other people who have had cancer can be a great support and there are several ways of getting in touch. You could use an online forum or join a local support group.
Support from your healthcare team
Holistic needs assessment
Some hospitals offer ‘holistic needs assessments’ (HNAs) to find out what practical or physical help you may need. This involves completing a questionnaire about your needs and then having a conversation with your healthcare team about your answers. This can help your healthcare team to support you with the right services or refer you to other local services. Your specialist nurse can tell you if these assessments are available at your hospital.
Counselling
Many people feel stronger over time and can get back to enjoying normal life again but some people will feel like they need some extra support. Your GP or specialist nurse may refer you to a counsellor or clinical psychologist. Some of these services are free on the NHS but you may need to pay for long-term counselling.
Wellbeing events
Some hospitals offer health and wellbeing events where you can get information on coping with daily life after treatment. It’s also a chance to meet other people in a similar position to you. Ask your healthcare team if there are any events in your area.
Recovering when you have other health problems
If you have other health problems, you may be finding it harder to recover from bowel cancer treatment. Speak to your healthcare team about what support you can get to help with daily life. They may refer you to services to help with your other health problems too.
Long-term and late side effects
The side effects of treatment usually get better over time. But some people may have side effects that carry on for more than six months (long-term side effects) or that start months or years after they’ve finished treatment (late side effects)
You can find further information about this by exploring our
Follow up appointments
After you have finished treatment, you will have regular follow up appointments to check how you’re recovering physically and emotionally. These appointments also provide an opportunity for you to ask about support that you may need. You will usually have these appointments for up to five years after you’ve finished treatment. Your healthcare team will be able to tell you how often your appointments are likely to be.
Your follow up appointments may be with a doctor or specialist nurse at the hospital. If you had treatment to cure the cancer, the healthcare team will check the cancer hasn’t come back or spread. If there is a risk of the cancer coming back, regular checks will increase the chance of it being picked up early.
You may have the following tests at your appointment:
- blood test to check the levels of a protein called CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)
- CT or MRI scans
- Physical examination
- Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy
Your follow-up will be specific to your needs. You may have regular appointments over the telephone or at the hospital. Many hospitals are moving away from routine appointments and instead put you in control of your follow-up. You can make an appointment when you would like one, for example, if you’re worried about symptoms. This is called patient-led or self-managed follow-up. You can call your healthcare team at any time if you have any worries. They’ll give you details of who to contact.
Before your follow up appointment, you may want to think about the questions you want to ask your healthcare team. Download our list of questions to take to your appointment here
You may also want to take the following along to your appointment:
- your latest medicines prescription
- spare stoma appliances, in case your doctor needs to examine your stoma
- a friend or family member for support
More information
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) gives information on counselling and how to find a counsellor
Macmillan Cancer Support provides information on emotions
Maggie’s offers emotional and practical support on their website and at their centres
Updated June 2025
Next review June 2028
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