Cancer Chemotherapy

Normally, your cells grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer cells keep growing without control. Chemotherapy is drug therapy for cancer. It works by killing the cancer cells, stopping them from spreading, or slowing their growth. However, it can also harm healthy cells, which causes side effects.

You may have a lot of side effects, some, or none at all. It depends on the type and amount of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts. Some common side effects are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain, and hair loss. There are ways to prevent or control some side effects. Talk with your health care provider about how to manage them. Healthy cells usually recover after chemotherapy is over, so most side effects gradually go away.

Your treatment plan will depend on the cancer type, the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment goal, and how your body responds. Chemotherapy may be given alone or with other treatments. You may get treatment every day, every week, or every month. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells. You might take the drugs by mouth, in a shot, as a cream, or intravenously (by IV).

NIH: National Cancer Institute

• After chemotherapy – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Central venous catheter – dressing change (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Central venous catheter – flushing (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Central venous catheters – ports (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Chemotherapy and Your Mouth – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
• Low white blood cell count and cancer (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Anemia – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Appetite Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Bleeding Problems – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Constipation – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Diarrhea – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Fatigue (Feeling Weak and Very Tired) – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Hair Loss (Alopecia) – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Infection – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Memory Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Mouth and Throat Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Nausea and Vomiting – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Nerve Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Pain – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Sexual and Fertility Changes in Men – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Sexual and Fertility Changes in Women – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Skin and Nail Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Swelling (Fluid Retention) – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Urination Changes – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• Oral mucositis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Types of chemotherapy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Understanding Chemotherapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF

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