What do you need to know before starting chemotherapy?

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a common type of cancer treatment that kills the rapidly growing cells in the body. It is given to more than half of the world's cancer patients! The rapidly growing cells that chemistry destroys include cancer cells, skin cells, hair cells, gut cells, and even bone marrow cells. Depending on the stage of your cancer, chemotherapy may be used to cure, control, or reduce the symptoms of your cancer. It can be used alone or in conjunction with surgery, biological therapies, radiation therapy, or other forms of treatment. It can help shrink a tumor, destroy any remaining cancer cells after irradiation, or cells that have come back from previous treatments, or destroy cancer cells that have spread throughout the body.

How chemotherapy is given?

There are many ways to administer chemotherapy. Each of them has its own pros and cons that you can talk to your doctor about. Here are the main ways:

• intravenously;
• orally;
• intra-arterial;
• intraperitoneally;
• intrathecally (into the cerebrospinal fluid);
• intratumoral;

The type of chemotherapy you receive will vary depending on your diagnosis, age, your cancer behavior and origin, your medical history, and potential side effects from treatment.

How to prepare for the procedure?

Chemotherapy can be tiring, so it's a good idea to prepare for it. A session can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to 4 hours, so be sure to pack your bags appropriately.

1. Clear your calendar: remember that you will likely be very tired after chemotherapy, possibly until the next day. Try to avoid big plans for these times in the beginning.
2. Find a driver: As we mentioned earlier, chemotherapy can make you tired, so it's a good idea to find a friend or family member willing to drive you for treatment.
3. Find a helper: If you are too tired to drive home after chemotherapy alone, you will definitely be too tired to do the laundry and other housework. Ask a friend or family member for help.
4. Pack a bag: Have a bag full of things you may need during your chemotherapy treatment. We recommend that you pack warm clothes or a blanket, something for entertainment (book, tablet, or crocheting tools), healthy snacks, and health insurance and medical information.

What else is worth knowing?

Some chemotherapy drugs will keep leaving your body for 48 hours after treatment. Make sure you know how to safely get rid of them so that you and your family members don't come into direct contact with them. Tip: wash chemotherapy garments separately from other garments.