Alternative and complementary therapies can help ease your symptoms and improve your overall health and well-being, but do not treat the cancer itself. But always make sure to talk to your health care team before adding them to your routine, even if you aren’t taking standard, conventional medical treatments. 

Once your treatment is finished, your doctor will want you to follow up with physical exams, CT scans and other tests. Keep in mind that every woman’s breast cancer is different and your doctor will help you determine which tests are important for your care. In most cases when treatment is done, the follow-up is a physical examination by the family doctor every six months for two years, which includes a clinical breast/chest exam and assessment for lymph nodes, and mammogram every year if they have had a lumpectomy. All other tests depend on the symptom. 

Find out about some of the tests used to monitor your health and response to your treatments here.

Here, we’ll talk about the stage when your breast cancer may have spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastatic breast cancer. We’ll also look at the specialized care and treatment available to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life and maintain a patient’s well-being for as long as possible.

Every woman’s breast cancer journey is different. After your treatment, you may experience pain, hair loss or an increased risk of infection, but your health care team is here to help you. In this section, you’ll learn about these side effects and what you can do to help manage them.