Chemotherapy

If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, chemotherapy may be a part of treatment recommended by your doctor. In many cases, chemotherapy can be used in addition to other therapies. In other cases, it can be used alone to treat cancer. Our extensively trained doctors will design your personal treatment plan and will educate you on the need for chemotherapy if selected within your treatment plan.

How Chemotherapy Works

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It can be given via infusion (putting the medicine into your veins using a small tube) or orally (a pill). Your doctor will determine the best method for you based on the type of cancer and the drug.

• Adjuvant therapy is the use of chemotherapy after surgery.  It can help keep the cancer from coming back later.
• Neoadjuvant therapy is when chemotherapy is given, sometimes in combination with radiation, before surgery to shrink the cancer and make surgery more successful

Chemotherapy can also be used to help shrink tumors and relieve symptoms for cancers that have spread to other organs, bones or lymph nodes.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy affects everyone differently. Your side effects and how you feel depends on how healthy you are before treatment, your type of cancer, how advanced it is, the kind of chemotherapy you are getting and the dose.

Some of the more common side effects are:

• Appetite changes
• Changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation 
• Fatigue/exhaustion
• Hair loss
• Nausea
• Skin and nail changes
• Tingling and numbness in fingers and toes

It’s important to know through your cancer treatment you are not alone. Our compassionate and highly trained oncology nurse navigators will be by your side to answer questions and be a resource along the way. We’re in this together.