Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer medicines to damage or stop rapidly dividing cancer cells throughout the body.

It may be used before surgery or radiotherapy, after local treatment, alongside radiotherapy, or to control cancer that has spread. Medicines can be given into a vein, by injection, as tablets or by another route suited to the drug. A regimen is a planned combination and schedule chosen for the cancer type and treatment aim.

Before each course, the team reviews your health, blood results and any symptoms since the last treatment. Intravenous treatment is given in a treatment unit through a cannula or a longer-term access device when needed. Courses are separated by recovery periods so normal cells, including blood-forming cells, can recover. Take tablets exactly as prescribed and bring concerns to the team before the next dose.

Effects depend on the medicines and can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, mouth soreness, bowel changes, numbness or tingling, and lower blood counts. A fever, chills, sudden feeling of being unwell, confusion, breathlessness, uncontrolled vomiting, severe diarrhoea or bleeding needs urgent medical advice. A low white-cell count can lead to febrile neutropenia, which needs immediate assessment.

Chemotherapy can be used with different goals: reducing the risk of cancer returning, shrinking a tumour before another treatment, treating cancer cells beyond the original site, or easing cancer-related symptoms. The team follows progress with symptoms, examination, laboratory tests and scans when appropriate. Whether a regimen is helping is considered alongside how well your body is tolerating it.

Tell the oncology team about infections, dental work, vaccinations, fertility concerns, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and every prescribed or non-prescribed medicine. Keep the emergency contact details somewhere accessible. Food, fluid intake and activity may need adjusting when nausea or fatigue is troublesome, and supportive medicines are often part of the plan.

Chemotherapy is used across many blood cancers and solid tumours, but not every cancer needs it. The choice depends on the cancer's type, stage, molecular features, overall health, prior treatment and the purpose of care. For some people it is one element of a wider plan involving surgery, radiotherapy, targeted treatment or immunotherapy.

The process starts with treatment planning, consent and baseline checks. On treatment days, a nurse confirms your identity, regimen and recent symptoms, then gives pre-treatment medicines when needed. The team explains what to expect at home and when the next review occurs. Dose delays or changes can be used when blood counts or side effects make this safer.

Energy, appetite and bowel habits may change during a course and then improve during the break before the next one. The pattern differs between regimens and people. Keep a symptom record with temperatures if instructed, fluid intake, bowel changes and any medicines used, as this gives the team useful detail at review.

Chemotherapy can affect healthy fast-growing cells as well as cancer cells. This explains many short-term effects and why monitoring matters. Some effects need specific prevention or early treatment, such as infection risk, dehydration or nerve symptoms. The team may prescribe anti-sickness medicines, growth-factor support or other measures based on your regimen.

Treatment options may include surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, active monitoring or symptom-focused care. These are not interchangeable choices for every cancer. Your clinician can explain why a particular approach is suggested and whether chemotherapy is intended before, after or alongside another treatment.

Choose an oncology service with a clear after-hours contact route and access to urgent assessment. Ask who to call for fever and whether you need to attend a particular emergency department. Family or friends can help with transport, meals and noting instructions after appointments.