Today, I had my quarterly follow-up with Dr. Jin, a radiation oncologist with The Ottawa Hospital. She has been following me since my radiation treatment in 2022 after my surgery for perianal skin cancer.

Since my 25 rounds of pelvic radiation in January and February 2022, I have had quarterly follow-ups with Dr. Jin, several MRIs, an unrelated colonoscopy and an unrelated CT scan. All of these examinations and screenings, including today's visit, confirmed that I continue to show no evidence of disease.

Dr. Jin noted that now that I have passed the two-year mark since radiation, my risk of cancer recurrence has gone down significantly. This was borne out by a statement in Cancer Research UK that "each day lowers the risk of a recurrence." On its page Why some cancers come back, the organization states: "Most cancers that are going to come back will do so in the first 2 years or so after treatment. After 5 years, you are even less likely to get a recurrence."

Having surpassed the two-year mark since treatment for perianal skin cancer, Dr. Jin told me that she will now see me every six months, in other words, twice a year rather than four times a year. She will also continue to order annual MRIs to check that the cancer hasn't returned.