The effects of chemo are cumulative. They get worse with each cycle. My doctors warned me: Each infusion will get harder. Each cycle, expect to feel weaker.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
In summary, Weekly paclitaxel treatment demonstrates better PFS and fewer chemotherapy-induced hematological and non-hematological toxicities compared to the three-week paclitaxel regimen.
You can have chemotherapy once a week or for several days, then rest for several days or weeks. The breaks give the drugs time to do their job. Rest also gives your body time to heal so you can handle side effects like nausea, hair loss, or fatigue. Each set of doses is called a cycle.
You may have treatments every week or every 2, 3 or 4 weeks. How often you have treatment also depends on which drugs you are having, as well as your treatment plan. When you have chemotherapy through an infusion pump, you may have the drugs: all the time for a few months (continuous administration)
Weekly paclitaxel has been used successfully in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, as single-agent therapy, in combination chemotherapy, with radiotherapy and with immunomodulating drugs, such as trastuzumab. Many of the patients in these studies have received previous chemotherapy regimens.
Around the third day following a chemotherapy treatment, some people may experience flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and pains. If you experience these aches, you can take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil. If necessary, contact your doctor for stronger medication.
There Will Be First Chemo Treatment Side Effects
Fatigue: You may feel tired or very fatigued the day after your first treatment. This differs from tiredness that can be cured with sleep. It may feel like profound lack of energy you can't seem to shake.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
The effects of chemo are cumulative. They get worse with each cycle. My doctors warned me: Each infusion will get harder. Each cycle, expect to feel weaker.
Patients should not skip or delay their chemotherapy cycles. If there is any delay or skipping of the dose (especially the oral drugs), the patient should immediately inform the doctor. They should seek advice for a further course of treatment.
Not every chemotherapy regimen will be that difficult. But patients need to make sure they're taking all of their medications on the appropriate days. Over time, it does get easier.
Most types of pain related to chemotherapy get better or go away between individual treatments. However, nerve damage often gets worse with each dose. Sometimes the drug causing the nerve damage has to be stopped.
If you have side effects, they will usually start during the first few weeks of treatment and may become more intense with each treatment cycle.
Acute nausea and vomiting usually happens within minutes to hours after treatment is given, and usually within the first 24 hours. This is more common when treatment is given by IV infusion or when taken by mouth.
Nearly everyone who has chemotherapy has some tiredness. It can be due to the direct effect of chemotherapy on the body. But anaemia may also cause tiredness. This is because chemotherapy can stop your bone marrow from making red blood cells for a while.
Most people have ups and downs during treatment, but support is available. Some people find they can lead an almost normal life during chemotherapy. But others find everyday life more difficult. You may feel unwell during and shortly after each treatment but recover quickly between treatments.
IV chemotherapy should not cause any pain while being administered. If you experience pain, contact the nurse taking care of you to check your IV line. An exception would be if there is a leak and the drug gets into surrounding tissues.
Sickness caused by chemotherapy can start within a couple of hours of starting your treatment and only last a day or so. Or it can come on more than 24 hours after the start of treatment. This is called delayed onset nausea and vomiting and usually lasts about a week.
You may experience nausea (feeling like you might throw up) and vomiting (throwing up) after your last chemotherapy treatment. It should go away in 2 to 3 weeks. Your appetite may continue to be affected due to taste changes you may have experienced during your treatment.
You may also want to avoid cold drinks and frozen treats like smoothies and sorbet with certain types of chemotherapy, as they can cause discomfort if you have chemo-related cold sensitivity.
Yes. It will take some extra planning and working out who can support you but it's possible to continue living alone when you have cancer. Having cancer and going through treatment raises many challenges and emotions. These may be harder to deal with when you live alone.
You might notice an improvement in cancer symptoms, such as less pain, reduced lymph node swelling, and improved energy levels. If you use topical chemotherapy on skin lesions, the area might feel irritated and look red and swollen for the first few weeks. These are all signs that chemotherapy is working.