After Treatment for Mesothelioma

Staying prepared and organized

Even if you’ve completed treatment, it’s still important to be organized and stay on top of your health. Keeping your records and health insurance coverage in order makes it easier to manage follow-up care, future checkups, and any new concerns that might come up.

Keep your health insurance

It’s very important to keep health insurance as a mesothelioma survivor. It can help cover the cost of follow-up visits, tests, and any care you might need in the future. No one wants to think about cancer coming back, but it’s best to be prepared.

Save your medical records

At some point, you might see a new doctor who doesn’t know your cancer history. Keep copies of (or have access to) your medical records so you can easily share the details of your diagnosis and treatment when needed.

Can I lower my risk of mesothelioma progressing or coming back?

If you have or have had mesothelioma, you probably want to know if there are things you can do that might lower your risk that it will or come back, such as exercising, eating a certain type of diet, or taking nutritional supplements. Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear if there are things you can do that will help.

Adopting healthy behaviors such as not smoking, eating well, getting regular physical activity, and staying at a healthy weight might help, but no one knows for sure. Still, we do know that these types of changes can have positive effects on your health that can extend beyond your risk of mesothelioma or other cancers.

About dietary supplements

So far, no dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products, have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of mesothelioma progressing or coming back. This doesn’t mean that no supplements will help, but it’s important to know that none have been proven to do so.

Dietary supplements are not regulated like medicines in the United States. They do not have to be proven effective or safe before being sold, although there are limits on what they’re allowed to claim they can do.

If you’re thinking about taking any type of nutritional supplement, talk to your health care team. They can help you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that might be harmful.

If the cancer comes back

If mesothelioma does come back at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is located, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health. To get an idea of how recurrent mesothelioma might be treated, see Treatment of Mesothelioma.

For more general information on recurrence, see Understanding Recurrence.

Getting emotional support

Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when cancer is a part of your life.

Some people are affected more than others. But everyone can benefit from help and support from other people, whether friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others. Learn more in Life After Cancer.