What to expect from chemotherapy for breast cancer

At a treatment visit, a nurse checks your symptoms, medicines, weight, and blood results before giving the drugs through a vein or another agreed route. A cycle then includes time for your body to recover. Chemotherapy may shrink a breast tumour before surgery, reduce the chance of cancer returning after surgery, or treat cancer that has spread.

Common effects include tiredness, nausea, appetite changes, mouth soreness, constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, and changes in blood counts. Some people notice nerve symptoms such as tingling in fingers or toes. Fertility, menstrual periods, and the ability to become pregnant can be affected, so discuss this before treatment begins.

Bring a list of medicines and questions, wear comfortable clothing, and arrange transport if you may feel drowsy or tired. Take supportive medicines as directed and keep fluids and easy meals available at home. Ask about scalp cooling, fertility preservation, contraception, work adjustments, and breast or arm symptoms after surgery. Keep a record of effects between visits.

Contact your oncology team promptly for fever or chills, shortness of breath, chest pain, uncontrolled vomiting, severe diarrhoea, inability to drink, unusual bleeding, or sudden confusion. Report painful redness around a line, new severe pain, or rapidly worsening numbness. Keep the emergency contact instructions with you between appointments.

Ask what the treatment is intended to achieve, how it fits with surgery or radiotherapy, how heart health and blood counts will be checked, which side effects can be prevented, and whether fertility support should happen before the first cycle.