Schedule for chemotherapy
Your chemotherapy schedule depends on the drugs and combinations of drugs used in your treatment plan.
Chemotherapy is often given in cycles, with days or weeks off between treatments. This cycling gives your body a chance to recover between treatments.
A full course of chemotherapy usually lasts 3-6 months.
How chemotherapy drugs are given
Chemotherapy drugs can be taken in pill form or injected intravenously (into a vein with an IV). Often, a combination of 2-3 chemotherapy drugs is used.
Most modern chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer involve IV drugs, given in an outpatient setting at a hospital or clinic.
At each visit, an IV is inserted into the arm, allowing the drugs to drip into the bloodstream.
Port-a-cath
Some people have a surgical procedure to insert a small device called a port-a-cath under the skin of the chest. Chemotherapy drugs can be given through the port-a-cath so that an IV doesn’t have to be put in at each visit.
The port-a-cath remains in place for the 3-6 months of treatment.
The picture below shows a person getting chemotherapy through a port-a-cath.
What to expect at each chemotherapy visit
Each chemotherapy visit lasts 1-6 hours, including time with your medical and nursing teams.
At each visit, your blood counts are checked and you may be given anti-nausea medications and other treatments to make the chemotherapy easier to tolerate.
A friend or family member can stay with you during the visit. You may also choose to read, listen to music, watch TV or sleep.
Before you begin chemotherapy, talk with your health care provider about possible side effects and whether you need to have someone drive you home after each visit.
Learn more about things to consider before treatment begins.
Transportation, lodging, child care and elder care assistance
If you do not live near the treatment center, it can be hard to get to and from chemotherapy sessions.
Sometimes, there are programs that help with local or long-distance transportation and lodging.
There are also programs that help with child care and elder care costs.
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