What to expect when having chemotherapy

This information will apply in most cases, but you may find that things are done slightly differently depending on how you have chemotherapy and where you have treatment.

Tests you may have

Receiving the treatment

To prepare for chemotherapy and between cycles, you will have a number of tests to help plan treatment:

weight and height measured to work out the right dose
blood tests to check how well your kidneys and liver are working and the number of blood cells
x-rays and scans to check that you are fit for treatment and see how the tumour is responding to treatment.

For some chemotherapy drugs you may also have:

heart monitoring tests to see if the drugs are affecting your heart
lung function tests to check whether the drugs are affecting your lungs.

While receiving chemotherapy you will usually be:

seated in a reclining chair in a room with other patients; during treatment it’s a good idea to shift your weight in the chair
able to bring someone with you and to walk around the room (e.g. if you need to go to the toilet)
given anti-nausea (antiemetic) medicine so you don’t feel sick
given several glasses of water to drink to help flush the chemotherapy drugs through the kidneys and bladder
monitored throughout the session – nurses will talk to you about ways to manage side effects
able to travel to and from chemo by yourself; it’s recommended that someone is with you the first time in case you feel unwell and to write down any instructions or advice.

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Key resource

Download a PDF booklet on this topic.

Understanding Chemotherapy

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More resources

This information was last reviewed in August 2020. View who reviewed this content.

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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