Before you leave your first treatment, be sure to ask who you should call with any questions or concerns and how to contact them, including after hours or weekends. Physical, Emotional, and Social Effects of Cancer. These printable PDFs provide an introduction to chemotherapy, answers to common questions, terms to know, and questions to ask the doctor. Who is on my chemotherapy team? Your team may include these health care professionals: Medical oncologist.
Their responsibilities can include: Giving physical examinations Ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic test results Prescribing and administering medications and other therapies, including chemotherapy Providing education and counseling for patients and families Oncology nurse.
Oncology nurses can also: Answer questions about treatment Monitor your health during treatment Help you manage side effects of treatment Other health care professionals.
These professionals include: Pharmacists Social workers Registered dietitian nutritionists Physical therapists Dentists Learn more about the oncology team. What happens before chemotherapy? Signing this form means: Your team gave you information on your treatment options. You choose to have chemotherapy. You give permission for health care professionals to deliver the treatment. You understand that the treatment is not guaranteed to give the intended results.
How should I plan for chemotherapy treatments? There are steps you can take before treatment begins to help you cope. What happens during chemotherapy treatment? Before your treatment starts, you will: Have a blood sample taken Meet with your oncologist so they can check your health and blood test results Meet the nurse or other health professionals who will give your treatment Have your blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and temperature taken before starting treatment Have your height and weight measured to find the right dose of chemotherapy May have an IV tube, also called a catheter, put in your arm Some people receive chemotherapy through a port.
What happens after IV chemotherapy ends? They will give you medication, tell you how to manage common side effects, and offer information such as: Avoid people with colds or other infections. Whether there are activities to do or avoid doing on future treatment days. Questions to ask the health care team Who is creating my chemotherapy treatment plan? How often will the plan be reviewed? Which health care professionals will I see at every treatment session?
How will I receive chemotherapy treatments? Will I need a port? Will I need any tests or scans before this treatment begins? Can you describe what my first treatment will be like? How long will each treatment session take? Will I need someone to drive me home after each session?
How often will I have chemotherapy? For how long? What are the common side effects of the chemotherapy I will receive? Who should I talk with about any side effects I experience? Should I track the side effects I experience at home? Are there side effects I should let you know about right away? Who can I talk with if I'm feeling anxious about having this treatment? Doctors use hormonal therapy because hormone levels control several types of cancers.
These include some breast and prostate cancers. Targeted therapy. These treatments target and disable genes or proteins found in cancer cells that the cancer cells need to grow. This type of treatment helps your body's natural defenses fight the cancer.
Immunotherapy is now an important part of treatment for several types of cancer and will play an increasingly important role in treatment in the future. These printable PDFs provide an introduction to chemotherapy, answers to common questions, terms to know, and questions to ask the doctor. Understanding Chemotherapy Approved by the Cancer. Different types of chemotherapy Treatment with these powerful drugs is called standard chemotherapy, traditional chemotherapy, or cytotoxic chemotherapy.
How does chemotherapy treat cancer? Doctors use chemotherapy in different ways at different times. These include: Before surgery or radiation therapy to shrink tumors. This is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
For cancer that comes back after treatment, called recurrent cancer. For cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, called metastatic cancer. The goals of chemotherapy The goals of chemotherapy depend on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Your chemotherapy plan There are many drugs available to treat cancer.
The drugs, dose, and treatment schedule depend on many factors. These include: The type of cancer The tumor size, its location, and if or where it has spread. Your age and general health Your body weight How well you can cope with certain side effects Any other medical conditions you have Previous cancer treatments Where is chemotherapy given? How long does chemotherapy take?
How is chemotherapy given? Chemotherapy may be given in several different ways, which are discussed below. Other drug treatments for cancer The traditional drugs used for chemotherapy are an important part of treatment for many cancers.
These types of treatment include: Hormonal therapy. Navigating Cancer Care. Net Videos. References NHS England. Cancer waiting times. Accessed May ISD Scotland. Cancer Waiting Times. Accessed June About this data Data is for: UK, , ICD CC97 Cancer waiting times statistics are for patients who entered the health care system within financial year Last reviewed: 20 August Patient experience of cancer diagnosis and treatment. References Department of Health.
About this data See the reports for details. Last reviewed: 2 February Surgery to remove the tumour. See also Full results and further information about how these statistics were calculated Find out more about the counting and coding of this data Cancer incidence Cancer survival. Last reviewed: 1 September Radiotherapy for all cancers combined. Cancer types included for chemotherapy and radiotherapy: C excl C Chemotherapy for all cancers combined.
Other cancers require immediate treatment. Chemotherapy may be used alone as the primary treatment for a cancer, or it may be used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery , radiation therapy , targeted therapy or immunotherapy. For example, in a patient with breast cancer, chemotherapy may be used before surgery, to try to shrink the tumor. The same patient may benefit from chemotherapy after surgery to try to destroy remaining cancer cells.
Some of these patients may be able to take occasional breaks from treatment. Chemotherapy drugs are often delivered by infusion—a process that may take several hours. Oral drugs, however, are now an option for many patients, which allows some patients the convenience of chemotherapy treatment at home. Other delivery options may include injections, topical creams and drugs that are injected directly in the abdominal cavity or the central nervous system. The main benefit of chemotherapy is its potential to destroy cancer cells.
It remains one of the most potent tools we have to fight cancer. The potential benefit to each patient depends on treatment goals, which depend on the type of cancer, how advanced it is and what the patient hopes to get out of treatment. Or the goal might be to control disease progression as much as possible. In these cases, the benefit is obvious. Some patients say they actually feel better and have more energy soon after starting chemotherapy because the symptoms of their cancer regress.
Is chemotherapy worth it? The first discussion with your doctor needs to be: What are we trying to accomplish with treatment? You can then decide whether to proceed or consider other options. While chemotherapy may kill rapidly growing cancer cells, the downside is that it may also damage healthy cells in the process. This is often the cause of some common side effects of chemotherapy.
For example, chemotherapy may temporarily decrease the production of red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, which may lead to anemia, fatigue and a suppressed immune system.
Certain drugs—not all— damage cells that help hair grow, which may lead to temporary hair loss.
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