About the
chemotherapy
side effects
facts sheets
To order free copies of this fact sheet, please call
1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER). |
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* Hofman, et al. 2004. Cancer patients' expectations
of experiencing treatment-related side effects.
Cancer. 101(4):851-857.
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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) worked closely with health care providers and patients at cancer centers across the country, and with providers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, to develop this chemotherapy educational series. The series includes 18 free fact sheets to help patients manage side effects and a pamphlet about chemotherapy.
The one-page fact sheets offer practical tips to strengthen your patients' understanding of, and ability to prevent or manage, side effects. The chemotherapy pamphlet describes what chemotherapy is and how it works.
Easy-to-understand language, engaging quotes, photographs, and questions can also help your patients understand and actively participate in their care. The information is intended to complement your patients' individualized consultation with you, their health care provider.
See the last two pages of this booklet for a list of topics
and information on how to order these handouts.
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"The materials address all of the issues patients are concerned about in an easy to follow format." |
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"These handouts hit the highlights patients need
to know about at the beginning of treatment.
And it's nice to have one sheet to give people." |
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"The information is user-friendly and culturally sensitive. I'll hand these out to my patients." |
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"When I was going through them, I thought -
I could teach from this. I could take this in and
sit down with my patient, and we could just go through this." |
Talk about the information on the fact sheet while the patient is in your office.
- Discussing these fact sheets during an office visit can increase your patient's likelihood of reading and using them at home.
- When patients understand what to expect during treatment and the actions to take, they will have less anxiety about side effects.
- The fact sheets can be given to patients in the waiting room or during discussions about chemotherapy and specific side effects.
Use a highlighter or a colored pen to draw attention to key information and action steps on each fact sheet.
- This simple act can increase your patient's adherence to the actions you would like him or her to take.
For important behaviors and information, ask your patients to share in their own words what they learn.
- Confirming patient understanding through the
teach-back technique has been shown to improve patient recall and comprehension.
- Applying the teach-back technique during the
patient consult can help avoid misunderstanding.
It can also reduce the time spent educating
patients during subsequent visits.
- Call the National Cancer Institute's
Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER).
- Or visit us online at www.cancer.gov/publications.
NOTE: Product or brand names that appear in these fact sheets are for example only. The U.S. Government does not endorse any specific product or brand. If products or brands are not mentioned, it does not mean or imply that they are not satisfactory.
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