What to Expect During Chemotherapy Treatment

If you’ve never had to make do with chemotherapy for breast cancer before, there’s a good chance you may be nervous about your first treatment and wonder if it will be painful or if you’ll feel sick immediately. Making sure you understand how the process goes and knowing what to expect can help you prepare and make everything go as smoothly as possible. And that’s what this quick guide will help you uncover today.

Before going any further, it is worth mentioning that chemotherapy medicines come in many forms and can be administered in a number of ways, depending on the breast cancer’s location, stage, and characteristics. First and foremost is intravenously, also called an IV. This is a common way to receive chemotherapy for breast cancer. The medicine is delivered directly into your bloodstream through an IV needle, also called a butterfly needle or catheter needle, inserted into a vein in your hand or lower arm.

Then there is through a port or catheter. This is very common during breast cancer treatment. Of course, some chemotherapy medicines are available as pills or capsules that you can take by mouth. The option you settle on will be mostly determined by your medical practitioner.

It is common to come across individuals who wonder if chemotherapy is painful. While receiving chemotherapy as an infusion through an IV port or catheter shouldn’t hurt, some people say that certain medicines burn when they start to flow into your body, but that sensation goes away fairly quickly. If at all you feel pain while receiving an infusion, tell your nurse right away.

It could be a leak in your IV line, which is allowing the drug or drugs to flow into nearby tissues rather than your vein. It’s common to feel fine during and right after a chemotherapy infusion. Most people say they feel the worst the day after chemotherapy for breast cancer. Chemotherapy is a disease suffered with low fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea. Of course, chemotherapy affects people in different ways.

Two people receiving the same medicines may have completely different side effects. How you feel depends on the medicines you are receiving, the medicine doses, how many rounds of chemotherapy you receive, the breast cancer’s characteristics, and your general health before chemotherapy starts and any other medical conditions you may have.

Ensure you uncover more about chemotherapy for breast cancers before you finally get to commence your treatment.