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Cancer Treatment
How Does Treatment Work?
What Are Treatment Side Effects?
Things To Look For
The Waiting
Want To Visit?
Your Own Ups and Downs During Treatment
Where Do Kids Get Treated for Cancer?
Who Can Answer My Other Questions?
You may want to know
what to expect during
your brother's or
sister's cancer
treatment.
This section briefly
explains different
treatments. It talks
about how they work
and their side effects.
You will
probably have more
questions after
reading this section.
It may help to talk with your
parents. Or ask if you can talk
with your sibling's nurse or
social worker.
"Rachel
had
all
this
beautiful
hair.
But
during
treatment,
she'd
wake
up
and
find
hair
all
over
her
pillow.
It
would
also
fall
out
when
she
combed
or
washed
it.
I
could
hear
her
crying
in
the
bathroom.
One
day
Mom
helped
her
shave
her
head.
Then
we
bought
and
decorated
some
bandanas
together.
They
look
good
on
her.
My
sister
is
my
hero."
- Lauren,
age
12
Cancer treatment aims to get rid of cancer cells. The type of
treatment your brother or sister will be given depends on:
- The type of cancer
- Whether the cancer has spread
- Your sibling's age and general health
- Your sibling's medical history
- Whether the cancer is newly diagnosed or has recurred.
Remember that there are more than 100 different types of cancer,
and each type is treated differently.
Treatment follows a protocol, which is a treatment plan. But even
if two people have the same type of cancer and the same
treatment plan, it may not work the same way for both of them.
This is because people's bodies can react differently to treatment.
Most children with cancer are treated at large pediatric cancer
centers in clinical trials. A clinical trial is a study that helps show
how, for example, a promising anticancer drug, a new test, or a
possible way to prevent cancer affects the people who receive it.
Side effects happen because the cancer treatment targets fastgrowing
cells. Cancer cells are fast growing, but so are normal
cells like the ones in the digestive tract and hair, for example.
The treatment can't tell the difference between fast-growing
normal cells and fast-growing cancer cells. That's why people
sometimes get sick to their stomach and lose their hair when they
have chemotherapy (one type of cancer treatment).
Some side effects, like feeling sick to the stomach, go away
shortly after treatment, while others, like feeling tired, may last a
while after treatment has ended.
Write down what treatment your brother or sister will get:
Use the chart on the next two pages to find out more about
different types of cancer treatment.
The chart describes six types of cancer treatment, how they're
done, and some of the side effects. Your brother or sister may
get one or more of these treatments. Depending on the exact
treatment, they may visit the doctor during the day, or they
may stay overnight in the hospital.
| Treatment |
What is it? |
How is it done? |
What may
happen as a
result?
(side effects) |
Surgery
Also called an
operation |
The removal
of all or part of
a solid tumor |
A surgeon
operates to
remove the
cancer. Drugs are
used so that the
patient is asleep
during surgery. |
- Pain after the
surgery
- Feeling tired
- Other side effects,
depending on the
area of the body
and the extent of
the operation.
|
Radiation
therapy
Also called
radiotherapy |
The use of
high-energy
rays or
high-energy
particles to kill
cancer cells
and shrink
tumors |
Radiation may
come from a
machine outside
the body or from
radioactive
material placed in
the body near the
cancer cells. |
- Feeling tired
- Red or blistered
skin
- Other side
effects,
depending on
the area of the
body and the
dose of
radiation.
|
Chemotherapy
Also called
chemo |
The use of
medicine to
destroy
cancer cells |
The medicine can
be given as pills,
through an
injection (shot), or
through an
intravenous (IV)
line. It is often
given in cycles
that alternate
between treatment
and rest periods. |
- Feeling sick to
the stomach or
throwing up
- Loose bowel
movements or not
being able to go
to the bathroom
- Hair loss
- Feeling very
tired
- Mouth sores
- A feeling of
numbness,
tingling, or
burning in the
hands and feet.
|
Stem cell
transplantation
Can be a bone
marrow
transplantation
(BMT) or a
peripheral blood
stem cell
transplantation
(PBSCT) |
The use of
stem cells
found in either
the bone
marrow or the
blood. This
repairs stem
cells that were
destroyed by
high doses of
chemo and/or
radiation
therapy. |
Stem cell
transplantation
uses stem cells
from the patient or
from donors. In
many cases, the
donors are family
members. The
patient gets these
stem cells through
an IV line. |
- The side effects
can be much like
those from
chemo and
radiation. In
some cases, the
side effects may
be worse.
|
| Hormone
therapy |
A treatment
that adds,
blocks, or
removes
hormones
from the body.
Hormone
therapy is
especially
useful to slow
or stop the
growth of
some types of
cancers. |
Hormone therapy
can be given as a
pill, through an
injection, or
through a patch
worn on the skin.
Sometimes
surgery is needed
to remove the
glands that make
specific hormones. |
- Feeling hot
- Feeling tired
- Weight changes
- Mood changes.
|
Biological
therapy
Also called
immunotherapy |
Biological
therapy uses
the body's
own defense
system (the
immune
system) to
fight cancer
cells. |
Patients may be
given medicine in
pills, through an
injection, or
through an IV line. |
- Chills/fever
- Muscle aches
- Weakness
- Feeling sick to
the stomach or
throwing up
- Loose bowel
movements.
|
Your brother or sister will get tests to monitor the cancer and how
the treatment is working. See
Chart A in the back of this booklet
for a list of some common monitoring tests.
Some treatments may make your brother or sister more likely to
get an infection. This happens because cancer treatment can
affect the white blood cells, which are the cells that fight
infection. An infection can make your brother or sister sicker. So
your sibling may need to stay away from crowded places or people
who have an illness that he or she could catch (such as a cold, the
flu, or chicken pox).
Because of this, you may need to:
- Wash your hands with soap and water often to keep from
spreading germs
- Tell a parent when you've been around someone who's sick
or has a cold
- Stay away from your brother or sister if you get sick.
It's hard to wait to see how well the treatment will work. Your
brother's or sister's doctor may try one treatment, then another.
One day your brother or sister may feel a lot better, and the next
day or week they may feel sick again. Treatment can go on for
months or sometimes years. This emotional roller coaster is hard
on everyone.
During this time, remember that the treatment is working to stop
the cancer and make your brother or sister better. For more
information about the people who will be treating your brother
or sister, see
Chart B
in the back of this booklet.
"I looked forward to the
times I got to visit my big
sister when she was in the
hospital. Sometimes it was
really sad to see Tara in bed
because she looked so weak.
But I am glad I went. Now
my sister is home, so I get to
see her again."
- Allie, age 14
Close to home
If your brother or sister is in a hospital near you,
you may be able to visit.
Learn ahead of time
how your sibling is
doing and what to
expect. You can read
together, draw, play
games, or sit and talk.
Some teens also want
to help care for their
brother or sister. Ask
the nurse what you can
do if you are interested.
Far from home
When your brother or sister is getting treatment far from home,
you may not be able to visit them as often. It will help you both
to stay in touch. Talk on the phone. You can also send cards,
letters, or pictures
back and forth.
During your brother's or sister's treatment,
you may go through a whole new range of
feelings.
Does this sound like how you feel
sometimes?
- I feel frustrated.
- I feel left out.
- I feel invisible - my sibling is getting all
the attention.
- I feel like treatment has gone on so long.
- I am so sad that my sibling is so sick.
- I wonder why this is happening to
our family.
- Some days I want to know all the
details about treatment. Other days I
just want to forget it ever happened.
All of these feelings are natural. Try to share
your thoughts with your friends, parents, or
another trusted adult. This time can be
tough on every member of your family.
Talking things through can help when you are
feeling left out, sad, or confused.
| Where to go for more information |
|
To learn more about cancer treatments, visit the NCI Web
site (http://www.cancer.gov). Look for the booklets
Chemotherapy and You, and
Radiation and You, among
others. You can also call the NCI's Cancer Information
Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) to talk
with an information specialist. All calls are free
and confidential.
|
"One day I went to the clinic with my brother for his treatment.
I saw the machine that he gets radiation from.
I got to meet his doctor and nurses and see lots of other kids with cancer.
I still wish Jake's treatment was over, but I feel better knowing more about what is going on."
- Matthew, age 15
Most kids get treated at cancer treatment centers that are just for
children and teens. There may be a center near you. Or your
brother or sister may have to get treatment in another city or
state. Your parent and your sibling, or your whole family, may go
live in a new city during treatment.
"At
first
I
didn't
ask
any
questions,
although
I
had
a
lot
of
them.
I
thought
people
would
think
I
was
really
dumb,
but
now
I
know
it
really
helps
to
ask."
- Brad,
age
15
Ask your parents or another trusted adult any questions that you
have. Ask if you can go along and maybe talk with a
doctor or nurse when your
parents take your brother
or sister to the doctor.
To make things easier:
- Make a list of questions
and bring the list
with you.
- Ask people to
explain things
using simple words.
- Ask for the information to be repeated.
- Ask the doctor or
nurse to show you
things on a model
or draw a picture.
| Questions you might want to ask |
- What kind of cancer does my brother or sister have?
- Will my brother or sister get better?
- What are the chances I will get this kind of cancer, too?
|
| Questions about the treatment |
- What kinds of treatment will my brother or sister get?
Will there be more than one?
- How do people feel when they get this treatment? Does it
hurt?
- How often is this treatment given? How long will it last?
- Does the treatment change how people look, feel, or act?
- What happens if the treatment doesn't work?
- Where are treatments given? Can I come along?
|
| Write down your own questions: |
It's okay to ask these questions more than once.
|
"I
was
surprised
to
find
out
about
stem
cell
donation
because
I
didn't
think
I
would
have
any
role
in
my
sister's
treatment.
So
when
I
was
asked
to
be
a
donor,
I
felt
like
it
was
a
chance
to
help
her
in
an
important
way.
At
first
I
had
a
lot
of
questions.
A
nurse
was
the
person
that
helped
me
the
most."
- Ethan,
age
17
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