Long-term follow-up

Long-term follow-up means having regular check-ups after your treatment ends. It is also called ‘late effects monitoring’ because we check for health issues that may appear years later.

Cancer treatments save lives, but they can sometimes lead to health problems later on. By coming to your follow-up appointments, we can spot any issues early and treat them quickly. We can also refer you to other specialists if needed.

Our goal is to support your health in the long term. Regular check-ups help us to keep track of how you are doing after treatment. This gives you the best chance of staying well.

Most people start long-term follow-up around five years after their treatment finishes. How often your appointments are depends on the type and amount of treatment you had. Usually, they are once a year at first.

Please come to your appointments even if you feel well. Some problems can develop many years later, even if you have no symptoms now.

When you arrive, our clinic reception team will greet you. A healthcare assistant will check your weight, height and blood pressure. You may also be asked for a urine sample.

You may also need other tests, such as:

• A DEXA scan to check bone strength.  
• An echocardiogram (or ‘echo’) to look at how your heart is working.  
• Lung function tests to check how well you can breathe.  
• A blood test. 

We will try to arrange these tests on the same day as your appointment, but sometimes we need to schedule them separately.

If you need a blood test, the specialist nurse or doctor will request it during your visit.

Please call us as at least one week before, so we can offer the slot to someone else.

We will send a reminder by text, phone or email, so please make sure we have your up-to-date contact details. Let us know if your phone number, address, email or GP changes.

If you miss two appointments without telling us, or cancel three in a row, we may need to discharge you back to your GP. Your GP will need to refer you again if you want to return to the clinic.

If you need to see different specialists, you may be invited to our late effects multidisciplinary (MDT) clinic.  

The team may include doctors and nurses in:  

• Cancer care  
• Blood conditions 
• Hormones (endocrine)  
• Kidney health (renal)  
• Women’s health (gynaecology and reproductive health).  

This way you can see different specialists in one visit, saving you time and avoiding multiple hospital trips.

If you have a health concern, please see your GP. If it might be related to your past treatment, you can also contact the long-term follow-up team.

We will ask you to register for our patient portal MyCare UCLH.    

With MyCare, you can:  

• View your appointments and receive reminders.
• View your clinic letters and test results.
• Send messages to your doctor.
• Join video clinics.

You will receive a personal activation code to sign up ahead of your appointment. If you have any problems setting this up, speak to your hospital team.

Late effects coordinator

Tel: 020 3447 5536

Email: uclh.late.effects@nhs.net

The late effects coordinator can help with appointments and arranging tests. If you have a medical query, they will pass it on to a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) for late effects and your doctor.