Most cancers have treatment protocols that set out which drugs to have, how much and how often. You can find information about protocols for chemotherapy at eviQ Cancer Treatments Online. Your specialist may need to tailor the protocols to your individual situation.
Learn more about:
- Overview
- The treatment course
- Making treatment decisions
- What to expect when having chemotherapy
- Intravenous (IV) chemotherapy
- Other ways of having chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy with other treatments
- Waiting for chemotherapy
Overview
You might have treatment with a single chemotherapy drug or a combination of two or more drugs. Your specialist will record the choice of chemotherapy drugs, the dose and the treatment schedule in a treatment plan.
You will have tests throughout treatment to monitor your response and your treatment plan may be adjusted based on the results and any side effects you have.
The treatment course
How often and for how long you have chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer you have, the reason for having treatment, the drugs used and whether you have any side effects.
Chemotherapy is commonly given as a period of treatment followed by a break. This is called a cycle. You will usually have a number of treatment cycles, and these may be daily, weekly or monthly. The length of the cycle depends on the chemotherapy drugs being given.
The break between cycles lets your body recover and regain its strength. If you need more time to recover, the specialist may decide to delay your next cycle. If you have any concerns about changes to your treatment or any delays, talk to your specialist.
If you smoke, try to quit or cut down before chemotherapy starts as smoking may affect how well the treatment works and make side effects worse. Quitting can be difficult, especially if you’re feeling anxious about the cancer diagnosis and treatment. For support and advice, talk to your doctor, call the Quitline on 13 7848, visit iCanQuit or download the My QuitBuddy app.
Listen to our podcast on Making Treatment Decisions
More resources
Clinical A/Prof Rosemary Harrup, Director, Cancer and Blood Services, Royal Hobart Hospital, TAS; Katie Benton, Advanced Dietitian, Cancer Care, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Queensland Health, QLD; Gillian Blanchard, Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Calvary Mater Newcastle, NSW; Stacey Burton, Consumer; Dr Fiona Day, Staff Specialist, Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer, The University of Newcastle, NSW; Andrew Greig, Consumer; Steve Higgs, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; Prof Desmond Yip, Clinical Director, Department of Medical Oncology, The Canberra Hospital, ACT.
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Radiation therapy
Information about this common cancer treatment, which is sometimes used with chemotherapy or on its own
Making cancer treatment decisions
Decision-making steps, consent and second opinions