Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
A liver cancer follow-up planner you can print and keep | CION Cancer Clinics
A follow-up planner is one printed sheet that records every scan, blood test and appointment after liver cancer treatment. It shows at a glance what is due, what was found and whether anything has changed. This page explains what to put on it, how to keep it current, and which symptoms should never wait for the next planned visit. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
The short answer
What is a liver cancer follow-up planner, and why use one?
A follow-up planner is a single printed sheet where you write down every scan, blood test and appointment after liver cancer treatment, and what each one showed. It keeps the whole picture in one place, so nothing is missed and any change is easy to spot.
Why follow-up needs tracking
Primary liver cancer, the kind that starts in the liver, often returns somewhere else in the same liver. The rest of the liver is usually still affected by cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, or fatty liver, so it stays at risk even after a successful operation or ablation. That is why follow-up scans and blood tests go on for years, and why one missed scan can matter.
What the planner is not
It is not a schedule written by us. Your own team decides how often you need scans, based on the treatment you had and the state of your liver. You copy their plan onto the sheet. Our page on the usual follow-up schedule explains what the visits are checking for.
If the cancer in your liver spread from another organ, the team treating that cancer sets your follow-up. A planner still helps you keep track.On the sheet
What should a follow-up planner include?
Four blocks are enough. Draw them on a sheet of paper or ask a family member to type them into a simple table and print it.
The basics at the top
Your name, hospital number, the diagnosis and its date, and each treatment you had with its date. Add the name of the doctor leading your follow-up and the cause of the underlying liver disease.
A scan log
One line per scan: the date, the type (ultrasound, CT or MRI), where it was done, and a few words on the result in the report's own words. Leave a column to tick when you have collected the images on disc or pen drive.
A blood test log
AFP, a blood marker some liver cancers release, is most useful as a trend. Write each value in a column so a rise or fall is easy to see. Add liver function tests and platelet counts beside it.
Also worth tracking
- Hepatitis B or C viral load, if you have it
- Bilirubin and albumin
- Kidney function, if you take long-term medicines
Medicines and questions
List every medicine you take, including antiviral tablets, which are usually continued long term. Keep a space for questions that come up between visits, so you remember to ask them.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistA layout to copy
What does each line of the planner look like?
Column
What you write in it
Due date
The month your team asked for the next scan or blood test
Done on
The actual date, so delays are visible at a glance
Test and place
For example, contrast MRI at the scan centre your team named
Result in brief
The report's last line, copied word for word
Shown to doctor
The date the report was reviewed, and what was decided
Using it well
How do I keep the planner up to date?
Fill in the plan at the end of each visit
Before you leave, ask when the next scan and blood test are due and write the month in the due column. If the answer is unclear, ask the doctor or nurse to write it for you.
Book early
Scan slots and doctor appointments can take time, especially if you travel to Hyderabad from a district. Book the scan so the report is ready before the doctor's appointment, not after it.
Copy the result the day you get it
Write the report's conclusion into the planner straight away. File the report and the disc together, as described on our page about keeping your own records.
Bring it to every appointment
Put the planner at the front of your file. A new doctor can read the whole history in a minute, and a missed or late scan stands out immediately.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
!
Some problems cannot wait for the next planned visit
Go to hospital today if you vomit blood, pass black or tarry stools, become newly confused or unusually drowsy, have a fever or pain with a swollen, fluid-filled abdomen, or turn yellow suddenly with a fever. These can be signs of bleeding, infection or the liver struggling, and they need same-day care. Call your team within the week for new pain in the right side, steady weight loss or a swollen tummy without fever.
On your reports
Which words should I copy into the planner?
- No new lesion
- The scan found nothing new compared with the last one. Write it down exactly, because it is the baseline for the next scan.
- Post-treatment changes
- Scarring where the tumour was treated. This is expected after surgery, ablation or TACE (blocking the tumour's blood supply).
- Arterial enhancement and washout
- A spot that fills with dye early and empties quickly. This pattern is one the team looks at closely, so copy it and make sure a doctor reviews the report soon.
- LI-RADS category
- A grading of how likely a spot is to be liver cancer. Note the category each time, because a change matters more than any single result.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how often you personally need scans or blood tests, or for how long. That depends on the treatment you had, how healthy the rest of your liver is, and what your team has seen so far. Our page on how long follow-up continues explains the usual thinking.
It cannot read your results for you
The planner helps you notice a change. It does not tell you what the change means. A rising AFP or a new spot on a scan needs a doctor who can compare it with your earlier images. Our page on rising AFP after treatment explains why one result rarely settles anything.
Who this does not suit
If you are still being diagnosed, or are in the middle of active treatment, your team will be seeing you often and a follow-up planner adds little yet. Start one when treatment ends and follow-up begins.
CION's team plans follow-up and surveillance, and arranges scans through partner diagnostic centres.Questions we are asked
Common questions about a follow-up planner
Can I use a phone app instead of a printed sheet?
Yes, if it suits you better. Many families keep the planner as a shared note or spreadsheet. A printed copy is still useful at appointments, because doctors read paper quickly and phones run out of charge. Keeping both is the safest choice.
Who should keep the planner, the patient or a family member?
Whoever handles the appointments. Often it is an adult son or daughter. The patient should still know where it is and be able to show it to a doctor. Sharing a phone photo of the latest page with the family keeps everyone on the same page.
What if I have already missed a scan?
Book it as soon as you can and tell your team. One late scan is common and usually easy to catch up. Write the actual date in the planner so the next interval is counted correctly. Our page on missing a scan explains what to do.
Does every follow-up visit need a CT or MRI?
Not always. Some visits use ultrasound or only blood tests, depending on your treatment and your team's plan. Write down which scan was asked for each time, so you do not book the wrong one at a scan centre that does not know your history.
Should I record how I feel as well as test results?
Yes, briefly. A line about appetite, weight, tummy swelling, sleep or new pain helps the doctor more than a vague memory at the appointment. Keep it short and factual, and note the date each symptom started.
Do I still need the planner if my scans are always clear?
Yes. A long run of clear scans is good news, and it is also the record that shows when follow-up can safely be spaced out. The planner makes that decision easier for your team, and it shows quickly if a scan was skipped.
What about hepatitis B or C follow-up?
Track it on the same sheet. Hepatitis B is controlled with long-term tablets, not removed, and stopping them can be dangerous. Note each viral load result and each refill. Your hepatologist or physician decides on the antiviral plan.
Can CION help me set up a follow-up plan?
Yes. CION's oncologists plan follow-up after liver cancer treatment and arrange the scans through partner diagnostic centres. Bring your reports and planner to a consultation, or call the helpline if you are unsure what to bring.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Living as a Liver Cancer Survivor
- American Cancer Society — Cancer Recurrence
- MedlinePlus — Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test
- NHS — Vomiting blood
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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Talk to us
Not sure what your follow-up should include?
Bring your reports and our oncologists will help you set out a follow-up plan you can track. One helpline serves every CION centre.