Following treatment for breast cancer

This information is for patients in our breast Open Access programme. The Open Access programme has been designed by our team to support you after treatment. This type of follow up means that:

• You, the patient, are in control.
• Your normal routine is not disrupted by hospital appointments.
• You can quickly gain access to the Breast Unit if you need to.

It is based on evidence that shows that there is no advantage to regular follow up in hospital for people who are well after breast cancer treatment.

To provide individualised follow-up care we offer a telephone helpline service called the Breast Care Helpline.

The aim of the telephone service is to provide helpful advice and allow you to have rapid access back to the Breast Team as required. You can call us to talk about any new symptoms that you are concerned about, or other issues related to your breast cancer.

The telephone service is an answer machine service. You will be asked to leave your name and telephone number and our support worker will call you back. The messages are picked up daily Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, (excluding Bank Holidays).

All calls are reviewed by a clinical nurse specialist in breast care who will offer advice, appointment or investigations as necessary.

Breast Care Helpline: 01273 696955 extension 64111 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm).

Current recommendations are for annual mammograms for five years after diagnosis. People who have had breast cancer are at risk of developing a further breast cancer in the same breast (recurrence), or a new cancer in the other breast.

Mammograms can detect cancer before it is able to be felt, either by you or a health care professional. For the majority of women, mammograms are the recommended way of checking for breast cancer.

You will receive your mammogram results by letter. This will normally take two weeks. If you do not receive your results within one month please contact the Breast Care Helpline.

No.

An NHS breast screening invitation is sent every three years to all women between the ages of 50 and 70 years. If you have recently had treatment for breast cancer and receive this invitation, please cancel the appointment. You can inform the NHS Breast Screening Unit that you are receiving regular mammograms at the hospital.

• If you are over 50 years: after five years of follow up at the hospital, you are advised to attend the National Breast Screening Programme. This means that you will receive mammograms every three years through your local screening service.
• If you are aged under 50 years: after five years of follow up at the hospital, we will recommend that you continue with annual mammograms at the hospital until invited for routine screening. You will then be offered mammograms every three years through your local NHS Breast Screening service.
• If you are aged 70 years or over: after five years of follow up, you may not routinely be called for screening. However you can continue to have mammograms every three years by requesting an appointment. Please contact your local NHS Breast Screening Unit. Their contact details are:

East Sussex: 01273 664966

West Sussex: 01903 239757

Alternatively, you can ask your GP to arrange this.

Some people with hormone sensitive cancers are prescribed anti-hormone tablets, also known as endocrine therapy. Anti-hormone therapy choices include Tamoxifen, Letrozole, Anastrozole and Exemestane.

You will usually be recommended these tablets for at least five years. Some people may be advised to continue with their tablets for longer. Once you have completed five years of medication we will write to you and your GP and confirm if tablets should stop, continue or be switched.

You will not have to pay for tablets as you are entitled to free prescriptions. A medical exemption certificate is available from your GP surgery or breast unit.

Treatment recommendations change and develop all the time. If there are major changes in the way we prescribe hormone medication we will write and tell you about this and what it may mean for you. We may request that you return to clinic to discuss this further.