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What to do before treatment starts
Talk with your doctor about how you can prepare for treatment.
![]() | Check heart functionRadiation therapy to the chest and some types of chemotherapy may affect the way your heart works. Your doctor may recommend you have some tests before, during and after treatment to check your heart function and limit the risk of damage. |
![]() | Ask about fertilitySome treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause infertility. This means you will no longer be able to conceive children. If having children is important to you, ask your doctor before treatment starts about whether there are options for preserving your fertility. You may be able to store sperm, eggs, ovarian tissue or embryos.For more on this, see Fertility and cancer. |
![]() | Get a dental check-upTry to see a dentist before starting treatment to the head and neck area. If mouth and teeth issues are not treated, they can lead to infections after cancer treatment.For more on this, see Mouth health and cancer treatment. |
Podcast: Making Treatment Decisions
Listen to more episodes from our podcast for people affected by cancer
More resources
A/Prof Christina Brown, Haematologist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Khaled Aly, Consumer; Kevin Bloom, Senior Social Worker, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Royal North Shore Hospital; Katrina Debosz, CAR-T and Lymphoma Nurse Practitioner, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Dr Samuel Dickson, Radiation Oncologist, Calvary Mater Newcastle; Dr Wojt Janowski, Haematologist, Calvary Mater Newcastle; Yvonne King, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Karen Maddock, Blood Transplant and Cell Therapy Nurse Practitioner, Westmead Hospital; Sheridan Wellings, Consumer.
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