Systemic Therapy includes:
Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. Chemotherapy treatment may include one type of drug or a mix of two or more drugs. Your Oncologist will tell you the best options for you.
Chemotherapy treatment is often given in the Chemotherapy Suite or “Chemo Suite” found on the 4th floor of the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. Some of the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program partner sites also can give chemotherapy. Ask your healthcare team about care closer to your home.
Chemotherapy can be given:
If you are offered chemotherapy you will:
A central line is a thin, flexible catheter (tube) that will get placed into a vein in your neck, arm or chest.
A central line might be left in your body for weeks or months. It can deliver chemotherapy fluids, IV medications, IV fluids or nutrition. It may allow for less skin pricks.
You might hear the term “PICC line” during your visits. A PICC line is a Peripherally Insterted Central Catheter. It is put into a large vein on the inside of your arm, close to your elbow. The line travels inside of your vein to the top of your heart.
An implanted device (a.k.a Port-A-Cath) is a small round titanium or plastic chamber. The top has a silicone (plastic) cover that will self seal after it is accessed by a special needle.
The port is placed under your skin. It can be on the right or left side of your chest. The catheter will travel under your skin, into a large vein near the collarbone through to the top of your heart.
For more information about ports visit the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre web page, About Your Implanted Port.
If chemotherapy or chemo has been recommended as a treatment for your cancer, you may have lots of questions: How long will treatments last? How can I prepare? How will it make me feel?
First, realize that it’s normal to have these questions and more, or to feel confused and maybe even scared. Understanding what to expect can help. So let’s go through some of the more common questions you may have: “How does chemo work?” and “How is it given?” Chemo is strong medicine that kills cancer cells. Many kinds of chemo are given through an IV line into a vein, called an injection or infusion. Though some chemo may be taken as a pill.
“How soon should I start treatments? Will other treatments also be given?”
Your cancer care team will talk to you about when treatment should begin. Other treatments such as radiation, targeted therapy or immunotherapy may be given along with chemo.
“Where do people go to get treatments?” Chemo is usually given in an outpatient clinic. Some treatments require a hospital stay, and certain types can be taken at home.
“How long does treatment last?” and “How often is it given?”
There’s no one right answer, because different chemo drugs work in different ways, but chemo is often given in cycles. A cycle is a period of treatment followed by a period of rest. For example, you might receive chemo once a week for four weeks or a few days per week followed by a rest period. The rest period in between gives your body a chance to recover.
“How can someone prepare for chemo?”
Some kinds of side effects which we’ll discuss in a second might happen during or right after getting chemo, others after a few days or weeks. Talk to your cancer care team about what to expect so you can adjust your work or family schedule if needed.
“What are common side effects?”
While not all people getting chemo have the same side effects, there are some that are common, such as nausea or vomiting, hair loss, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, fever, low blood cell counts, appetite changes or mouth soreness. Your cancer care team can help you prevent and manage side effects. “What are some good questions to ask?” Because every person is different, not everyone will have the same response to chemo or side effects.
Talk to your cancer care team about the chemo drugs being used, the treatment schedule, possible side effects, and when you should call the doctor or nurse. Also, ask about any precautions to protect yourself and others while getting treatment. To learn more, visit cancer.org treatment or call the American Cancer Society helpline at 1-800-227-2345 to speak with a cancer information specialist.
Hormone therapy is a type of cancer treatment that works by blocking certain hormones in the body. Some cancers need hormones (like estrogen or testosterone) to grow. Hormone therapy helps by stopping the cancer from getting these hormones.
Depending on the type, hormone therapy can:
This treatment can slow down the cancer, stop it from spreading, and sometimes even shrink the tumor.
Hormone therapy can be given in different ways:
There are many types of hormone therapy. Ask your oncologist which type is right for you.
Your Oncology Nurse will go over side effects of your hormone therapy with you.
Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses special drugs to find and attack cancer cells. These drugs are made to work on the cancer in your body based on how your cancer is different from other cancers. That’s why it’s sometimes called treatment made just for your type of cancer.
Targeted therapy looks for certain changes or features in cancer cells—like special genes or proteins—that help the cancer grow and spread.
There are different types of targeted therapy. Each one works in its own way to stop cancer cells from growing. These treatments are made to harm as few healthy cells as possible.
Targeted Therapy is used to:
There are many types of targeted therapy. Ask your Oncologist which type you are taking. Targeted therapy can be given in different ways:
Your Oncology Nurse will go over the specific side effects of your targeted therapy
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment, sometimes called biological therapy. Immunotherapy works to help the immune system find and attack cancer cells.
Immunotherapy is used to:
There are many types of immunotherapy. Ask your Oncologist which type you are taking.
immunotherapy is one possible treatment your doctor may recommend immunotherapy is treatment that uses a person’s own immune system to fight cancer by boosting or changing how the immune system works so it can find target and attack cancer cells that’s a general definition but it’s normal to have questions let’s answer some of those how does How does immunotherapy work immunotherapy work some immunotherapy drugs help the immune system work harder and smarter to find and kill cancer cells others add to functions already found in the immune system how is it different from chemotherapy immunotherapy boosts or creates a stronger immune response that can kill cancer cells but usually don’t harm healthy cells chemotherapy kills cancer cells but also harms healthy cells so the side effects can be very different How does the doctor know if immunotherapy is the right treatment how does the doctor know if immunotherapy is the right treatment this depends on the type and stage of the cancer certain tests your overall health and current guidelines in research immunotherapy works better for some types of cancer than for others sometimes it’s used by itself and sometimes it seems to work better when used with other types of treatment like chemo how soon should immunotherapy start your doctor or cancer care team will tell you how quickly immunotherapy should be started How are immunotherapy drugs given how are immunotherapy drugs given and where do people go to get them many are given at an outpatient clinic through an iv line as an injection or infusion some newer immunotherapy treatments may require a hospital stay others are given by mouth as a pill or capsule and can be taken at home how long does treatment last and how often is it given this depends on the type and stage of your cancer the immunotherapy being given and how your body responds to treatment treatment may be daily for a few days weekly or monthly some types of immunotherapy are given in cycles a period of treatment followed by a period of rest The rest period gives your body a chance to recover Side effects what are some common side effects side effects depend on the drug used and the body’s response to it not all people getting immunotherapy have side effects but some common ones are rashes itchiness flu-like symptoms and diarrhea your cancer care team can help you prevent and manage side effects what are good questions to ask before treatment every person is different and not everyone will have the same response or side effects ask about the drugs being used your treatment schedule side effects you can expect and how long they might last how to handle the side effects and when you should call your doctor or nurse to learn more visit cancer.org treatment or call the american cancer society helpline at 1-800-227-2345 to speak with a cancer information specialist