…survivors need psychological, family support after treatment – Experts say
Cancer survivors continue to face fear of recurrence, stigma and complications long after completing treatment, highlighting gaps in post-treatment care and the need for sustained psychological and family support, health experts have said.
The experts spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a Cancer Survivorship Initiative event organised by the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), in partnership with King’s College Hospital London and Project PINK BLUE, under the theme, “Beyond the Diagnosis: The Untold Realities of Cancer Survivorship and Caregiving.”
They said cancer care should extend beyond diagnosis and treatment to include structured follow-up, counselling and support for survivors and their families as they adjust to life after the disease.
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Ugochi Odu, a consultant in palliative care and family psychology, said life after cancer could not return exactly to what it was before diagnosis, stressing the need for survivors to develop resilience and plan for the next phase of their lives.
She said the impact of cancer extended beyond the patient to family members and caregivers, making it necessary for care plans to consider the wider support system around survivors.
Odu identified fear of recurrence as a common challenge after treatment, explaining that survivors could become anxious about symptoms such as lumps, headaches and fever, sometimes prompting repeated hospital visits and scans.
“And when you listen to survivors, what has helped them manage this? Fear of the occurrence. I think that’s the commonest problem post-cancer treatment, the commonest. Like she said, every feeling of a lump is another issue to worry about. Every symptom, it might be a headache.
“It might be a fever. It might be a symptom someone else would experience and overlook. That becomes a problem to worry about.
“It’s that fear that, okay, is this how the cancer is trying to recur? Is this how it’s trying to come back? Maybe the presentation might be different. And then that’s one of the reasons why we have the most hospital visits post-treatment. Because you have people coming back for a scan,” Odu said
She said healthcare providers should develop structured survivorship plans that explain symptoms survivors might expect, identify warning signs requiring medical attention and set out a clear schedule for follow-up appointments.
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Such plans, she said, could include reviews at three months, six months, one year and two years after treatment, helping survivors understand what to expect and reassuring them that they had not been abandoned after receiving a clean bill of health.
The experts’ concerns were echoed by cancer survivors who shared their experiences of navigating diagnosis, treatment and recovery, including the emotional and physical challenges that persist after treatment.
Mide Agbola, a cancer survivor who delivered the keynote address, said she was diagnosed in August 2018 while breastfeeding her seven-month-old baby.
She said she became concerned after noticing blood in her breast milk and subsequently discovered a lump during self-examination.
Agbola urged Nigerians to embrace early detection and act promptly when they notice unusual changes in their bodies, stressing that awareness must be accompanied by timely action.
“This is why early detection and early action are game changers. We always talk about early detection, but I think it’s important that whenever we talk about early detection, we should add early action because you can detect this early and not do anything about it and then nothing happens.
“So please, wherever you are doing your advocacy work or you’re talking about your experiences, indicate that early detection and early action go together. The topic I have before me is beyond survival, redefining life after cancer,” she said
She also spoke about the fear of recurrence, stigma and the physical consequences of treatment, including lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling when the lymphatic system is damaged.
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According to her, managing such complications can be difficult when specialist care is not readily available, underscoring the need to strengthen support for survivors beyond the initial treatment period.
Agbola, who opted for a mastectomy, said the decision gave her peace of mind. She added that the experience had changed her perception of femininity and that the loss of a breast no longer defined her identity as a woman.
She also recounted that she was able to exclusively breastfeed her child from one breast after treatment, highlighting the different ways survivors adapt to life after cancer.
Chioma Ikejani, another survivor, described the uncertainty that accompanied her diagnosis in Nigeria in 2015 before she travelled to Canada for treatment.
She said she was told the cancer was at stage four and had spread to several parts of her body, including the chest wall, kidney, lungs, bones and liver.
Ikejani said chemotherapy was effective in her case and that a breast surgeon later informed her that she did not need a mastectomy.
Her experience highlighted the different treatment outcomes and decisions cancer patients may face, as well as the uncertainty that can shape their experiences from diagnosis through recovery.
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The survivors’ accounts underscored the need for care that recognises the individual experiences of patients and addresses the emotional, physical and social consequences of the disease.
The event, organised by AMCE in partnership with King’s College Hospital London and Project PINK BLUE, focused on the realities of survivorship and caregiving beyond the immediate demands of cancer treatment.
The discussions highlighted the importance of sustained medical monitoring, psychological support and family involvement in helping survivors manage the fear of recurrence, treatment-related complications and the transition to life after cancer.
