Step 5: Reclaiming Your Quality of Life

This module explains what you need to know after your treatment is complete.

Step 5: After Treatment & Follow-Up Care

Completing treatment for prostate cancer is a significant milestone — but your care doesn’t stop there. Regular follow-up visits with your doctor are an important part of making sure you stay healthy and that any signs of cancer returning (known as recurrence) are caught early. We approach these appointments with the same commitment to personalized, patient- and family-centered care that guides everything we do.

What Follow-Up Care Looks Like

Follow-up care typically continues for several years and includes periodic PSA blood tests to monitor your levels over time. If your PSA rises after treatment, additional imaging — such as a PET scan or MRI — may be recommended to get a clearer picture of what’s happening. Your partner and caregivers are always welcome at these visits, and we encourage you to bring any questions or concerns, no matter how small they may seem.

Managing Side Effects

Surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy can each cause different side effects, and there are many options available to help you manage them. Common side effects include:

Erectile dysfunction — associated with surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy
Urinary incontinence — most commonly related to surgery
Urinary urgency or irritation — more often associated with radiation
Hot flashes — typically related to hormone therapy

You don’t have to simply live with these changes. We’ll work with you to find the right strategies and treatments to protect your quality of life, and every decision will be made together — with your needs, preferences, and goals leading the way.

If Cancer Returns

If your cancer does return after treatment, it will most often be identified through a rise in your PSA levels. At that point, we may recommend additional imaging, such as a PET scan, to better understand the situation. Then, together as a team, we’ll talk through whether further treatment is needed and what your options are.

The encouraging news: even when prostate cancer returns after initial treatment, there are effective options available. Radiation therapy and hormone therapy, among others, have high success rates in this setting — and we’ll make sure you have access to everything that could help.

Our Commitment to You

Throughout your follow-up care, we’re focused on clear, honest communication — listening as much as we talk, and making sure you always feel informed and heard. We’re honored by the trust you place in us, and we’re here for you not just through treatment, but for every step of the journey that follows.