Most chemotherapy drugs are given through an IV, but some are injected into muscle, under the skin or directly into the spinal fluid. Other chemotherapy drugs can be swallowed in pill form. Chemotherapy is often given in combination with other chemotherapy drugs or with other treatments, such as targeted therapy , radiation therapy or immunotherapy. IV chemotherapy should not cause any pain while being administered. If you experience pain, contact the nurse taking care of you to check your IV line.
An exception would be if there is a leak and the drug gets into surrounding tissues. Side effects depend on the type of chemotherapy. The most common ones are mouth sores , diarrhea , nausea, fatigue and those caused by bone marrow suppression, such as a decrease in white blood cell count neutropenia.
Not necessarily. Some chemotherapy drugs do cause hair loss. Others may cause only hair thinning and some may not cause any hair loss. The reason hair loss sometimes happens is that chemotherapy drugs affect rapidly dividing cells.
This describes not only cancer cells, but also those found in the hair follicles, mouth and gastrointestinal tract.
That is why some patients develop mouth sores, nausea, and diarrhea, too. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment to find out if and when you are likely to lose your hair. We have very good medications now to control many of the side effects caused by chemotherapy, such as nausea and vomiting.
Our goal is not to make you sick with treatment, but to make you feel better. Several cycles make up a course of chemotherapy. A course usually lasts 3 months or more. Some cancers are treated with less recovery time between cycles.
This is called a dose-dense schedule. It can make chemotherapy more effective against some cancers. But it also increases the risk of side effects. Talk with your health care team about the best schedule for you. Intravenous IV chemotherapy. Many drugs require injection directly into a vein. This is called intravenous or IV chemotherapy. Treatment takes a few minutes to a few hours. Some IV drugs work better if you get them over a few days or weeks. You take them through a small pump you wear or carry.
This is called continuous infusion chemotherapy. Oral chemotherapy. You can take some drugs by mouth. They can be in a pill, capsule, or liquid. This means that you may be able to pick up your medication at the pharmacy and take it at home. Oral treatments for cancer are now more common. Some of these drugs are given daily, and others are given less often.
For example, a drug may be given daily for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week break. Injected chemotherapy. This is when you receive chemotherapy as a shot. The shot may be given in a muscle or injected under the skin.
You may receive these shots in the arm, leg, or abdomen. Abdomen is the medical word for your belly.
Chemotherapy into an artery. Your doctor will give you specific instructions to prepare for your chemotherapy treatments. You may need to:. Make arrangements for help at home and at work. Most chemotherapy treatments are given in an outpatient clinic, which means most people are able to continue working and doing their usual activities during chemotherapy. Your doctor can tell you in general how much the chemotherapy will affect your usual activities, but it's difficult to predict exactly how you'll feel.
Ask your doctor if you'll need time off work or help around your home after treatment. Ask your doctor for the details of your chemotherapy treatments so that you can make arrangements for work, children, pets or other commitments. Prepare for your first treatment. Ask your doctor or chemotherapy nurses how to prepare for chemotherapy.
It may be helpful to arrive for your first chemotherapy treatment well rested. You might wish to eat a light meal beforehand in case your chemotherapy medications cause nausea. Have a friend or family member drive you to your first treatment. Most people can drive themselves to and from chemotherapy sessions.
But the first time you may find that the medications make you sleepy or cause other side effects that make driving difficult. Your doctor determines how often you'll receive chemotherapy treatments based on what drugs you'll receive, the characteristics of your cancer and how well your body recovers after each treatment.
Chemotherapy treatment schedules vary. These treatments are effective in many cases of cancer. However, their effectiveness will often depend on the stage of the cancer, among other factors.
A healthy body constantly replaces cells through a process of dividing and growing. When cancer occurs, cells reproduce in an uncontrolled manner.
As a part of the body produces more and more cells, they start to occupy the space that useful cells previously took up. Some emerging treatments aim to stop the growth of new blood vessels that supply a tumor in order to starve it. Some scientists are concerned that this strategy might encourage the growth and spread of cancer in some cases.
Chemotherapy is an invasive treatment that can have severe adverse effects both during the therapy and for some time after. This is because the drugs often target both cancer cells and healthy cells. However, early treatment involving chemotherapy can sometimes achieve a complete cure.
This makes the side effects worthwhile for many. Also, most of the unwanted symptoms go away after treatment finishes. The doctor will make a plan with the individual that specifies when treatment sessions will occur and how many they will need. A course of treatment can range from a single dose on one day to a few weeks, depending on the type and stage of cancer.
Those who need more than one course of treatment will have a rest period to allow their body to recover. A person may repeat this several times. Some people may find talking to a counselor about the mental and emotional aspects of cancer and chemotherapy helpful. Liver health : The liver breaks down chemotherapy chemicals and other drugs. Overloading the liver could trigger other problems. If a blood test detects liver problems before treatment, the person may have to postpone treatment until it recovers.
Low count of red or white blood cells or platelets : If these blood counts are low before treatment, the person may need to wait until they reach healthy levels before starting chemotherapy. It is important to have regular blood tests during the treatment period to ensure that blood and liver functions remain as healthy as possible and monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.
Most people will receive chemotherapy in a clinical setting, but sometimes a person can take it at home. Ways of taking chemotherapy include:. In some cases, a person may be able to take the medication at home. However, they will need to make regular visits to the hospital to check their health and how they are responding to treatment. The person must take the dose exactly as the doctor prescribes.
If they forget to take a dose at the right time, they should call their doctor immediately. Sometimes, a person will need a continuous dose. This means that they may have to wear a pump that delivers the drug slowly for several weeks or months.
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