You have now had surgery to treat your lung cancer and you are probably wondering about the next steps. This leaflet aims to explain your follow up, and how you will be supported over the next 18 months and beyond.
Multi-Disciplinary Team Review
After your lung cancer surgery, your case will be re-discussed at our multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting. This will take place once the removed area of lung has been examined by a pathology doctor. This meeting is attended by a chest surgeon as well as other doctors and nurses who specialise in lung cancer.
The team sometimes recommend additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Your lung cancer nurse specialist will let you know if extra treatment is recommended, and an appointment will be made to discuss this further with an oncologist (cancer doctor). You will then be seen in the Survivorship Clinic after this treatment has finished.
If you do not need any further treatment, you will be referred directly to our Survivorship Clinic.
Nurse Led Survivorship Clinic
You may have been told that lung cancer can come back in the future. This is why we will keep you under review with regular CT scans after your surgery. You will be reviewed three months after your surgery by a lung cancer nurse specialist in a telephone clinic, or in person by a consultant.
You will have a CT scan at six and 18 months after your surgery. We will arrange an appointment to discuss the results with you when this has been reported by a radiologist (doctor who specialises in reviewing scans).
The CT scan is looking for any changes in your lungs which could mean that your cancer has come back. If we are worried about any changes on your scans then we may request additional tests to investigate this further. Changes on your CT scan do not always mean that your cancer has returned. If your cancer has come back we can usually offer you further anti-cancer treatment.
If the scans remain clear after 18 months then you will be discharged from our Survivorship Clinic back to the care of your GP. However, you can always get in touch with the lung cancer nurses if you, your family, or GP have any concerns even after you have been discharged.
Holistic Needs Assessment
A lung cancer specialist nurse will do a Holistic Needs Assessment and Care Plan with you during your first Survivorship Clinic appointment. This will help us to agree how best to support you in your recovery from your lung cancer surgery, and improve your quality of life.
Your nurse can signpost you to relevant services for additional support if you need it. We will send you a care concerns checklist to complete prior to this appointment.
What to look out for
Some people get some symptoms which could mean your cancer has returned. Some of these symptoms are;
- A new cough that does not go away after 2-3 weeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Constant chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Chest infections that keep coming back
- Increased tiredness
Often these symptoms turn out to be unrelated to cancer, but if you are concerned please get in touch with the lung cancer nurses.
Lung Cancer Nurses
Please note the lung cancer nurses work Monday to Friday 8am till 4pm.
Out of hours please telephone 111, or 999 in an emergency.