Follow-Up Care

What should I expect after active treatment?

Once active treatment for CLL is complete, follow-up care is important and your healthcare team will watch for any recurrence, manage potential side effects and monitor your overall health. Follow-up care usually includes regular physical examinations and/or medical tests. Follow-up care includes checking for any signs of recurrence (recurrent CLL). You should discuss any risks of recurrence and treatment options with your healthcare team, which can help you be more proactive and prepared.

A complete remission (CR) is when your healthcare team can’t find any evidence of leukemia after repeated testing. A partial remission (PR) is when there are detectable amounts of CLL remaining, and is most common in people who receive the current standard treatments.

People with CLL have a higher risk of developing other cancers, such as lung, colon, or skin cancers. Any new symptoms or skin issues should be discussed with your healthcare team. Be sure to talk to your doctor about any potential long-term side effects, which may include physical and emotional changes that can linger after active treatment of CLL. To help you navigate follow-up care, different services may be recommended such as mental health/counseling, physical therapy, pain management and nutrition assessment.

You and your healthcare team should work together to develop a personalized follow-up care plan to help guide you through survivorship care. It’s helpful for you to also have a cancer treatment summary that you can share with any future doctors you may see.

If the leukemia can’t be cured or controlled, it may be referred to as advanced or terminal. It’s important to discuss your feelings, preferences, concerns and options with your healthcare team.

Learn more about survivorship and follow up-care.