Personalised follow-up after treatment

'Follow-up' means what happens after you finish your cancer treatment, and how we support you.

Your follow-up is part of your personalised cancer care. Personalised cancer care is about giving you care and support that are important to you.

After your treatment, you might be offered personalised follow-up, or PFU.

Personalised follow-up should reduce the number of outpatient appointments that you come to after you finish your treatment.

PFU is sometimes called:

• personalised stratified follow-up (PSFU)
• patient initiated follow-up (PIFU)
• open access follow-up (OAFU)
• supported self-management (SSM)

They are all ways to describe planned care after treatment for cancer.

You do not need to remember all these terms. We explain how things will work for you.

Who has personalised follow-up

Your clinical team talk to you about this. If it is a suitable option for you, we might offer you:

• regular surveillance scans or tests (to check that the cancer has not returned), with quicker and easier access to results
• a quick way to get help (including telephone advice and support) from your cancer team again if you are worried about any symptoms, side effects or treatment
• information about any signs and symptoms that may suggest that the cancer has returned
• personalised care and support planning to help you improve your health and wellbeing in the long term
• support to learn information and skills that can help you manage and live with your condition (self-management)