Cancer Clinic

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is using drugs to treat cancer. These drugs attack and destroy cancer cells or prevent their growth. Chemotherapy can also damage normal cells.

It is usually given:

• In pill form - either a tablet or capsule (oral medications).
• Into your veins - this is called an intravenous through the IV. If you need to have IV chemotherapy at home, the medication is given through a special pump, which looks like a baby bottle.

How often & for how long:

Most chemotherapy is given over a period of time, how often varies. It could be daily, once a week, twice a month, or once a month. The amount of time to give the drug is different for each drug, but usually 15 minutes to 6 hours.

Side effects

Not everyone experiences side effects to Chemotherapy. We will discuss potential side effects with you and how to manage them.

Common side effects can include:

• Low blood counts
  • Infection: low white cell count
  • Fatigue, shortness of breath: low red cell count
  • Bruising and bleeding: low platelet count
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mouth and throat discomfort
• Hair loss
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Changes to skin and nails
• Sensitivity to the sun

Good nutrition can help also help you:

• Heal and recover more quickly
• Maintain your weight
• Improve how well you handle or tolerate treatment
• Decrease s your risk of infection

A healthy diet is:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates and fats
• Vitamins and minerals
• Water

Your cancer and treatment may cause you to feel fatigued or very tired. You may notice that you just don’t have any energy. This is common. Doing some exercise and keeping physically active can help most patients feel better.

Keeping active during cancer treatment may have these benefits for you:

• Maintain or improve your physical abilities
• Improve balance, which may lower your risk of blood clots
• Better blood flow to legs and lower your risk of blood clots
• Less nausea
• More energy, so you have less fatigue
• Better weight control
• Greater independence around the house

Overall, keeping active can make you feel better and give you more energy to do the things that you enjoy doing!

While receiving chemotherapy, your periods may stop and you may go into early menopause, experiencing hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. Chemotherapy has also been known to decrease sperm counts; consider sperm banking before starting treatment.

Always speak with your oncologist about future pregnancies and family planning. Pregnancy must be avoided during treatment and for several months after completion of treatment. Always use a condom while either partner is receiving chemotherapy.

Brant Community Healthcare System is a smoke-free hospital and cancer clinic. Smoking is not permitted on hospital grounds, including parking lots. Speak to a member of your health care team at the cancer clinic for help to stay smoke-free.