Risk Factors for Complications During the Procedure
History of allergies
Debilitation
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
You may be asked to take some pre-medications, such as steroids, allergy medications (anti-histamines), anti-nausea medications, sedatives, and antibiotics.
You'll be given the chemotherapy medication(s) by whichever route your physician thinks best. At the same time, you may be given other medications to fight the side effects of chemotherapy, including steroids, allergy medications (anti-histamines), anti-nausea medications, sedatives, and antibiotics.
By injection into a muscle or vein (intravenously)
By catheter into the bladder, abdomen, chest cavity, brain, spinal cord, or liver
By application to the skin
After Procedure
You may be given any of the following:
Medications to take at home to make you more comfortable, such as anti-nausea drugs
Injections of an immune-system boosting drug (to increase your white blood cells and fight potential infections) several days after your chemotherapy has been administered
Other drugs, including steroids, allergy medications (anti-histamines), anti-nausea medications, sedatives, and antibiotics
How Long Will It Take?
This depends on the route used, the number of medications prescribed, and the amount of each medication. Therefore, a session may be as brief as the time it takes to swallow a pill, or it may take several hours, overnight, or even an entire week for intravenous medications to be dripped slowly into your veins.
Will It Hurt?
Chemotherapy may cause a number of uncomfortable side effects and complications. However, the administration of the chemotherapy treatment does not usually hurt, unless the intravenous needle is misplaced and medication leaks into your tissue. If this happens, tell your doctor or nurse, so that the problem can be corrected and damage to your skin and tissue can be avoided.
Possible Complications
Nausea and/or vomiting
Diarrhea or constipation
Appetite loss
Hair loss
Anemia
Weakened immune system and increased susceptibility to infection
Intense fatigue
Decreased platelet count and easy bruising and/or bleeding
Mouth sores
Numbness, tingling, or weakness due to nerve damage
Kidney damage
Damage to the heart muscle
Infertility
Cessation of the menstrual period
Average Hospital Stay
Chemotherapy is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. However, if you experience excessive vomiting, you may need to be admitted to the hospital to receive IV fluids with your chemotherapy treatments.
Postoperative Care
Get a lot of sleep.
Try to eat as healthfully as possible, even though you may not have an appetite.
Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration and to flush the medications out of your kidneys as quickly as possible.
Use special mouth rinses to avoid or treat mouth sores.
Administer post-chemotherapy shots if they are prescribed by your doctor; these will help to keep your white blood count stable.
Try to avoid people with communicable diseases (particularly children) as a viral illness (ie, cold or flu) can have significant effects in a patient whose immune system is compromised by the chemotherapy,
Outcome
Chemotherapy should help decrease the number of cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Your doctor may order any of the following tests to monitor the progress of your treatment:
Vomiting that prevents you from holding down fluids
Blood in your vomit
Easy bruising
Nosebleeds, bleeding gums, new vaginal bleeding
Blood in your urine or stool
Burning or frequency of urination
Chest pain
Severe weakness
Shortness of breath, cough
Calf pain, swelling, or redness in the legs or feet (which could signify a blood clot)
Abnormal vaginal discharge, itching, or odor
Signs of infection, including fever and chills
Pain in a new location
Numbness, tingling, or pain in your extremities
Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or a "pimple" at the site of your IV
Headache, stiff neck
Hearing or vision changes
Exposure to someone with an infectious illness, including chickenpox
FEVER: The single most important symptom that causes a medical oncologist to admit a patient to the hospital after getting chemotherapy is a fever in the presence of a low white blood cell count, called a neutropenic fever.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
