Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare

Things to look out for

NHS Trust

Chemotherapy can reduce your ability to fight infections by temporarily lowering your immune system. It is important to look out for: Temperature above 37.5oC at any two readings in a given hour A sore throat Uncontrollable shivering diarrhoea Cough or sudden shortness of breath Burning sensation when you pass urine A rash Bruising or bleeding for no apparent reason If any of these occur, please contact your chemotherapy nurseor the on-call Oncology Registrar shown on the back of this leaflet.

Useful Numbers
Chemotherapy Nurse If you need some advice or information about your chemotherapy, you can contact your Chemotherapy Nurse

...............................................................................................

on telephone:

Chemotherapy
Information Leaflet

................................................................................................ After hours and at weekends, you can ring the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital switchboard on 020 8746 8000 and ask them to bleep the on-call Oncology Registrar.

Useful Contacts
The Macmillan Centre tel: 020 8237 2386

A cancer information and support centre based in the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Offers information, support and complementary therapies (ie massage) to anybody concerned about cancer.
CancerBACUP tel: 0808 800 1234 www.cancerbacup.org.uk Macmillan Cancer Relief tel: 0845 601 6161 www.macmillan.org.uk
This information leaflet has been written for patients and their families by staff working in Cancer Services at the Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, London SW10 9NH. first published February 2004 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare February 2004

This leaflet has been written and produced by staff working in Cancer Services at the Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust for patients and their families

Welcome
Welcome to the Chelsea and Westminser Hospital Chemotherapy Service. This leaflet aims to give you some useful information and contact details for your treatment here. Each time you come for chemotherapy, you will see your oncology doctor and, afterwards (sometimes the day after), your chemotherapy nurse will begin your treatment. Your chemotherapy nurse is:

What does it involve? 1. Your first Appointment

You will be booked into the Day Unit for your chemotherapy treatment. Your length of stay will depend upon the type of tests, assessment, chemotherapy preparation and treatment you need.

2. Your Tests and Assessment

When you arrive on the Day Unit, please make yourself known to a receptionist or member of the nursing team who will book you in.

3. Blood Tests
We will take a small ample of blood to check that your blood count is satisfactory before you receive chemotherapy - some peoples blood count drops during chemotherapy making it inadvisable to continue until your cells have recovered.

8. Your Next Appointment

If you have any queries or concerns about your chemotherapy, you can contact your chemotherapy nurse on: Before returning home, please make sure that you have your next appointment written in your appointment card. If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your chemotherapy nurse using the details shown in this leaflet.

4. Seeing a Doctor or Nurse

Outside of these times, please see reverse of this leaflet. We will then assess you to see if you are well enough to have your dose of chemotherapy. A doctor will then prescribe the chemotherapy and possibly other medicines for you to take home with you.

7. Time to go Home
The name of your chemotherapy is: Your nurse, pharmacist or doctor will advise you about any medicines you may need to take home with you. More often than not, these drugs will be collected for you to save you having to wait around.

You will need to have this treatment every

5. Preparing the Chemotherapy 6. Time for Treatment

An appropriate device will be placed into one of your veins so that you can have your chemotherapy injection or drip. Your nurse or doctor will inform you as to how long the treatment will take, any possible side-effects and provide you with written information. You may like to bring in a book or personal stereo to help to pass the time - whatever feels right for you. Most chemotherapy drugs need to be made up on the day of use. Your drug chart will be sent to the pharmacy where the chemotherapy is prepared in a special unit. It is then delivered back to the Day Unit where the chemotherapy nurse will check that everything is satisfactory before proceeding.

weeks for a total of

cycles.

You will be required to have regular blood tests during your treatment and your nurse will give you an appointment for each of these tests.