How are cancer recurrences diagnosed?

Cancer recurrences are diagnosed just like any other cancer. Your doctor might suspect a cancer recurrence based on certain tests, or you might suspect a recurrence based on your signs and symptoms.

After your last round of treatment, your doctor probably gave you a schedule of follow-up exams to check for cancer recurrences. You were probably told what signs and symptoms to be alert for that might signal a recurrence.

Watching for a cancer recurrence is often very different from screening for the original cancer. And the goals of the two are different.

For most forms of cancer, a local recurrence may still be curable, so early detection of a local recurrence is very important. For most cancers, a recurrence at a site distant from where the cancer first began means the chance of cure is not good.

All cancers are different, so talk with your doctor about what type of cancer you have and what can be done if it recurs at a distant site. This can guide what tests you undergo during routine checkups after your initial treatment.