Understanding chemotherapy - Macmillan Cancer

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Changes to your treatment planChanges to yourtreatment planSometimes people may need their chemotherapy treatmentplan changed. If this happens, your cancer doctor or nursewill explain why it’s advised in your situation.It may be because of the effects of the chemotherapy on yourbody or on the cancer itself. Sometimes changes can be madeto suit your personal circumstances.Effects on your bodyChemotherapy can affect organs, such as the bone marrow,kidneys and liver. You’ll have regular blood tests to monitorthis. Some drugs can affect the nerves in your feet andhands (known as peripheral neuropathy) and others drugsmay affect hearing.Depending on the problem, your doctor may delay yourchemotherapy for a short while, reduce the dose or putyou on a different chemotherapy drug.Delaying your chemotherapyThe most common reason for delaying chemotherapy isthe number of white blood cells in the blood being too low(see pages 43–45). This isn’t unusual so try not to get tooworried about it. Once your white blood cells are backup to a healthy level, you can start your next cycleof chemotherapy.63
Understanding chemotherapyYou may be able to delay your chemotherapy if you have aspecial social occasion coming up. A small delay won’t usuallybe a problem, but this does depend on the type of cancer youhave. Your cancer doctor or specialist nurse will tell you if thisis advisable.Effects on the cancerYour doctor may arrange tests or a physical examinationto check the effects of chemotherapy on the cancer(see page 11).If the results show the cancer isn’t responding well enough,your doctor may change your treatment plan to differentchemotherapy drugs.64
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Understanding chemotherapy - Macmillan Cancer

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