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Your doctor may also suggest that you join a clinical trial for
Chemotherapy, or you may want to bring up this option with your doctor. Clinical trials are carefully designed research studies that test promising new cancer treatments. Patients who take part in research may be the first to benefit from improved treatment methods.
These patients also can make an important contribution to medical care because the results of the studies may help many people. Patients participate in clinical trials only if they choose to and are free to withdraw at any time.
Where will I get Chemotherapy?
You may get your Chemotherapy at home, in your doctor's office, in a clinic, in your hospital's outpatient department, or in a hospital. The choice of where you get
Chemotherapy depends on which drug or drugs you are getting, your hospital's policies, and your doctor's preferences. When you first start
Chemotherapy, you may need to stay at the hospital for a short time so that your doctor can
see the medicine's effects closely and make any adjustments that are needed.
How often will I get Chemotherapy, and how long will I get it?
How often and how long you get Chemotherapy depends on the kind of cancer you have, the goals of the treatment, the drugs that are used, and how your body responds to them. You may get
Chemotherapy every day, every week, or every month. Chemotherapy is often given in on-and-off cycles that include rest periods so that your body has a chance to build healthy new cells and regain its strength. Your doctor should be able to estimate how long you will be getting
Chemotherapy.
It is very important to stick with whatever schedule your doctor prescribes. Otherwise, the anti cancer drugs might not have their desired effect. If you miss a treatment session or skip a dose of medication, contact your doctor for instructions about what to do.
Sometimes, your doctor may delay a treatment based on the results of certain blood tests. Your doctor will let you know what to do during this time and when it's okay to start your treatment sessions again.
How will I get Chemotherapy?
Depending on the type of cancer you have and the drug or drugs you are getting, your
Chemotherapy may be given in one or more of the following ways:
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Into a vein: You will get the drug through a thin needle inserted into a vein, usually on your hand or lower arm. Another way to get IV
Chemotherapy is by means of a Catheter, a thin tube that is placed into a large vein in your body and remains there as long as it is needed. This type of catheter is known as a
Central Venous Catheter. Sometimes, a Central Venous Catheter is attached to a port, a small plastic or metal container placed surgically under the skin. |
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By mouth (orally, or PO) in pill, capsule, or liquid form. You will swallow the drug, just as you do many other medications. |
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Into a muscle
(Intramuscularly, or IM), under the skin (Subcutaneously, or SQ or SC), or directly into a cancerous area in the skin
(Intralesionally, or IL). You will get an injection with a needle. |
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Topically: The medication will be applied onto the skin. |
Chemotherapy also may be delivered to specific areas of the body using a catheter (or a
Catheter plus a port). Catheters may be placed directly into the spinal fluid, abdominal cavity, bladder, or liver. Your doctor or nurse may use specific terms when talking about certain types of catheters. For example, an
Iintra-thecal (IT) Catheter is used to deliver drugs into the Spinal fluid. Intra-cavitary (IC) catheters can be placed in the abdomen, pelvis, or chest.
Two kinds of pumps -- external and internal -- may be used to control the rate of delivery of
Chemotherapy. External pumps remain outside the body. Some are portable and allow a person to move around while the pump is in use. Other external pumps are not portable and may restrict activity. Internal pumps are placed surgically inside the body, usually right under the skin. They contain a small reservoir (storage area) that delivers the drugs into the catheter. Internal pumps allow people to go about most of their daily activities.
Does Chemotherapy hurt?
Getting Chemotherapy by mouth, on the skin, or by injection generally feels the same as taking other medications by these methods. Having an IV started usually feels like drawing blood for a blood test. Some people feel a coolness or other unusual sensation in the area of the injection when the IV is started. Report such feelings to your doctor or nurse. Be sure that you also report any pain, burning, or discomfort that occurs during or after an IV treatment.
Many people have little or no trouble having the IV needle in their hand or lower arm. However, if a person has a hard time for any reason, or if it becomes difficult to insert the needle into a vein for each treatment, it may be possible to use a
Central Venous Catheter or Port. This avoids repeated insertion of the needle into the vein.
Central Venous Catheters and Ports cause no pain or discomfort if they are properly placed and cared for, although a person usually is aware that they are there. It is important to report any pain or discomfort with a
Catheter or Port to your doctor or nurse.
Can I take other medicines while I am getting
Chemotherapy?
Some medicines may interfere with the effects of your
Chemotherapy. That is why you should take a list of all your medications to your doctor before you start
Chemotherapy. Your list should include the name of each drug, how often you take it, the reason you take it, and the dosage.
Remember to include over-the-counter drugs such as laxatives, cold pills, pain relievers, and vitamins. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of these medications before you start
Chemotherapy. After your treatments begin, be sure to check with your doctor before taking any new medicines or stopping the ones you already are taking.
Will I be able to work during Chemotherapy?
Most people are able to continue working while they are being treated with anti-cancer drugs. It may be possible to schedule your treatments late in the day or right before the weekend, so they interfere with work as little as possible.
If your Chemotherapy makes you very tired, you might want to think about adjusting your work schedule for a while. Speak with your employer about your needs and wishes at this time. You may be able to agree on a part-time schedule, or perhaps you can do some of your work at home.
How will I know if my Chemotherapy is working?
Your doctor and nurse will use several methods to measure how well your treatments are working. You will have frequent
Physical exams, Blood tests, Scans, and X-rays. Don't hesitate to ask the doctor about the test results and what they show about your progress.
While Tests and Exams can tell a lot about how Chemotherapy is working, side effects tell very little. (Side effects -- such as
Nausea or hair loss -- occur because Chemotherapy harms some normal cells as well as cancer cells.) Sometimes people think that if they don't have side effects, the drugs aren't working, or that, if they do have side effects, the drugs are working well. But side effects vary so much from person to person, and from drug to drug, that having them or not having them usually isn't a sign of whether the treatment is effective.
If you do have side effects, there is a lot you can do to help relieve them. The next section of this document describes some of the most common side effects of
Chemotherapy and gives you some hints for coping with them.
Coping with side effects?
If you have questions about side effects, you are not alone. Before
Chemotherapy starts, most people are concerned about whether they will have side effects and, if so, what they will be like. Once treatments begin, people who have side effects want to know the best ways to cope with them. This section will answer some of your questions.
If you are reading this section before you start Chemotherapy, you may feel overwhelmed by the wide range of side effects it describes. But remember every person doesn't get every side effect, and some people get few, if any. In addition, the severity of side effects varies greatly from person to person.
Whether you have a particular side effect, and how severe it will be, depends on the kind of
Chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts. Be sure to talk to your doctor and nurse about which side effects are most likely to occur with your
Chemotherapy, how long they might last, how serious they might be, and when you should seek medical attention for them.
What causes Side effects?
Because Cancer cells grow and divide rapidly,
Anti-cancer drugs are made to kill fast-growing cells. But certain normal, healthy cells also multiply quickly, and
Chemotherapy can affect these cells, too. When it does, side effects may result. The fast growing, normal cells most likely to be affected are
Blood cells forming in the Bone marrow and cells in the Digestive tract,
Reproductive system, and Hair follicles.
Anti-cancer drugs also can damage cells of the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and
Nervous system. The most common side effects of Chemotherapy include
nausea and vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. Other common side effects include an increased chance of bleeding, getting an infection, or developing
Anemia. These side effects result from changes in blood cells during
Chemotherapy.
How long do Side effects last?
Most normal cells recover quickly when
Chemotherapy is over, so most side effects gradually disappear after treatment ends, and the healthy cells have a chance to grow normally. The time it takes to get over some side effects and regain energy varies from person to person. How soon you will feel better depends on many factors, including your overall health and the kinds of drugs you have been taking.
While many side effects go away fairly rapidly, certain ones may take months or years to disappear completely. Sometimes the side effects can last a lifetime, as when
Chemotherapy causes permanent damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or reproductive organs. And certain types of
Chemotherapy occasionally may cause delayed effects, such as a second cancer, that show up many years later. It is important to remember that many people have no long-term problems due to
Chemotherapy.
It also is reassuring to know that doctors are making great progress in preventing some of
Chemotherapy's more serious side effects. For instance, they are using many new drugs and techniques that increase
Chemotherapy's powerful effects on cancer cells while decreasing its harmful effects on the body's healthy cells.
The side effects of Chemotherapy can be unpleasant, but they must be measured against the treatment's ability to destroy cancer. People getting
Chemotherapy sometimes become discouraged about the length of time their treatment is taking or the side effects they are having. If that happens to you, talk to your doctor.
It may be that your medication or treatment schedule can be changed. Or your doctor may be able to suggest ways to reduce side effects or make them easier to tolerate. Remember though, your doctor will not ask you to continue treatments unless the expected benefits outweigh any problems you might have.
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