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Helping Yourself During Chemotherapy: Summary

Helping Yourself During Chemotherapy

4 Steps for Patients

National Institutes of Health | National Cancer Institute

Chemotherapy: How You Can Help

Chemotherapy is treating cancer with drugs that kill cancer cells.

What you do during chemotherapy is important to your health. This information talks about ways to help yourself:

• Feel better
• Solve problems that come up
• Work with your doctor to get well

If you have any questions after reading this, ask your doctor or nurse. They can tell you more about chemotherapy.

4 Steps for You to Help Yourself During Chemotherapy:

Click on one of the steps to learn more.....

STEP 1 1	Tell your doctor if you get side effects from treatment
STEP 2 2	Ask your doctor before you take any other medicine
STEP 3 3	Take care of your health
STEP 4 4	Talk about your feelings

Talk to your doctor and nurse about these four steps. Ask questions about the information that you are about to read. Be sure to know how to do your part in helping chemotherapy work for you.

To learn more about cancer, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). The people who answer your call will talk with you about chemotherapy or any other cancer questions you have.

Tell your doctor if you get any side effects from treatment

Tell the doctor if you have any of these problems:

Nosebleeds Feeling tired Constipation Sores in your mouth or throat Coughing a lot Feeling tingling in your fingers and toes Ringing in your ears Red dots under your skin Black and blue marks Feeling sick to your stomach or throwing up Loose or runny bowel movements A fever of 101 degrees of higher Losing your hair Losing or gaining 10 pounds or more

Questions? Ask your doctor or nurse. Step 2

Ask your doctor before you take any other medicine

Chemotherapy uses drugs to fight your cancer.

Taking other medicine during treatment can cause problems. To get the best results:

Ask Your Doctor or Nurse

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you take, even if they're for birth control. Tell your doctor about medicines another doctor gave you or that you bought at the store. Don't take aspirin unless your doctor says it's O.K. Aspirin is in a lot of drugs. Ask the pharmacist if there's aspirin in any drug you're thinking about buying. Don't take any medication unless your doctor says it's okay.

Step 3

Take care of your health

Eat Right

• Keep your weight about the same

• Try not to lose or gain.

• Drink lots of liquids
• If your stomach is not upset, eat foods like these each day:

Take good care of your mouth, even if it is sore

• Try to brush your teeth after every meal.
• Use a soft toothbrush and regular flavored toothpaste
• If you can't brush, rinse your mouth with water.

Stay away from people who have colds or the flu

Their germs could make you sick

Have all the blood tests your doctor orders

Blood tests help your doctor watch your health

Talk about your feelings

Being treated for cancer can change the way you feel about things. It can make you feel sad or mad or scared. That's normal. But it can help to talk about it.

Some people talk to their friends or family. Some talk to others who have had cancer or to a counselor. Your nurse or social worker can tell you more.

Many people also have questions about sex and birth control. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your choices.