Follow-Up Care

Your child will undergo frequent follow-up tests during the first year after treatment, but they will be done less often during the second and third years. Each patient has a different follow-up care schedule. How often your child has follow-up visits is based on your child’s type of AML and the treatments given. Your child’s doctor will let you know the schedule that is right for your child.

Children should visit their pediatrician or doctor at least once a year for a complete physical exam and any additional needed tests. The oncologist should also regularly examine the child.

Regular doctor visits are encouraged to help with the following:

  • Enabling doctors to assess the full effect of therapy
  • Detecting and treating disease recurrence
  • Completing vaccination schedule, as appropriate
  • Identifying and manage long-term and late effects of treatment

The pediatrician should recommend a schedule for having the child's learning skills assessed. If the child appears to be experiencing learning disabilities, special education methods can help.

Coordination between the child's pediatrician and oncologist is important for the best care possible. Some treatment centers offer comprehensive follow-up care clinics for childhood cancer survivors.

Survivorship Care Plan

Generally, “survivorship” refers to the health and well-being of a person after cancer treatment. Your child’s oncologist will help create a survivorship care plan for your child to guide follow-up care. Share the survivorship care plan with any healthcare providers your child sees. Click here to learn more about Survivorship Care Plans.

 Read the PDF, Beyond Treatment, for more information on survivorship and life after treatment.

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