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For some people with uterine sarcoma, treatment can remove or destroy the cancer. Completing treatment can be both stressful and exciting. People might be relieved to finish treatment but find it hard not to worry about cancer coming back.

For other people, the cancer might never go away completely. They might get regular treatments to help keep the cancer in check. Learning to live with cancer that does not go away can be difficult, but many people find ways to manage their health and maintain a good quality of life.

Follow-up care

During and after treatment, it’s very important to go to all your follow-up appointments. During these visits, your cancer care team will watch for signs of uterine sarcoma coming back (recurrence), as well as any side effects of the treatments you’ve had.

Talk with your doctor about developing a survivorship care plan for you. This plan can guide your next steps after treatment, including follow-up appointments and ways to stay healthy.

What’s usually in a survivorship care plan

A survivorship care plan might include:

• A summary of the diagnosis, tests done, and treatments given
• A suggested schedule for follow-up exams and tests
• A schedule for other tests you might need in the future, such as tests to look for long-term health effects from your cancer or its treatment
• A list of possible late or long-term side effects from your treatment, including what to watch for and when you should contact your healthcare team
• Diet and physical activity suggestions
• Reminders to see your primary care provider (PCP) for routine healthcare and cancer screening

What to expect

Follow-up visits often include careful physical exams and tests such as blood work or imaging. How often you follow up with your care team will depend on your cancer, its response to treatment, and other factors.

For example, almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some might last only a short time, but others can last longer or might not show up until months or years later. It’s important to report any new symptoms to your cancer care team right away, so that they can find a cause and treat it if needed.

If the cancer comes back

If the cancer does return at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health. For more information on how recurrent cancer is treated, see Treatment for Uterine Sarcoma by Type.

For more general information, see Understanding Recurrence.

Social and emotional health after cancer

Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when cancer is a part of your life. Changes in hormones after cancer treatment can make these feelings more intense.

Some feelings might last a long time and can include:

• Dealing with any physical changes that happen because of treatment
• Worrying about the cancer returning or new health problems developing
• Being treated differently or discriminated against by friends, partners, coworkers, employers, and others

You might also feel:

• Resentful for having had cancer
• Resentful for going through treatment when others didn’t have to
• Guilty for surviving cancer when other friends with cancer did not

If your feelings are getting in the way of your daily life, consider reaching out for support. The American Cancer Society is here to help. The National Cancer Information Center is available 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 to discuss support resources in your community.